DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Barker Review

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Barker review on housing.

Keith Hill: Kate Barker's review on housing reinforced the Government's strategy for more growth and we have accepted her central recommendation in favour of a step change in housing supply.
	In responding to the specific proposals in her report, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will adopt the principles set out in our Sustainable Communities Plan, published last year. We want to create sustainable communities—thriving and vibrant places where people want to live and work, and which will stand the test of time.

E-Government

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he issues to local authorities on how e-government can contribute to efficiency savings in the provision of services.

Phil Hope: Business transformation, including efficiency gains, has always been part of the local e-Government strategy. The latest Implementing Electronic Government return incorporates guidance on how e-government will help deliver efficiency gains. Last week the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published an information pack for councils on the efficiency target which includes reference to e-government. Further guidance will be issued as required.

E-Government

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on e-delivery of government services in rural North Yorkshire.

Phil Hope: All local authorities in North Yorkshire are required to e-enable their services by December 2005. The ability to access services by phone or over the web will bring considerable benefits to users of local services, especially in rural areas served by councils in North Yorkshire. The North Yorkshire ICT Partnership was set up to e-enable services on behalf of councils in the area, but now comprises only two of the original nine councils which could delay planned improvements to local services. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently working with all councils involved to identify possible remedial action.

Economic Regeneration

Linda Perham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role he plans for local government in furthering economic regeneration.

Phil Hope: The Local Government Act 2000 reinforced the powers of local authorities to promote the economic well-being of their area. Community Strategies are bringing together local partners to support jobs and growth. The Government are also taking forward the Local Authorities Business Growth Incentives scheme, which will create new incentives and directly benefit communities.

Street Wardens (Wandsworth)

Martin Linton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has given to Wandsworth council on the funding of street wardens when departmental funding ceases in 2005.

Phil Hope: Guidance has been issued to all street warden schemes whose funding ends in March 2005. This includes information on how other schemes achieved continued funding, a list of funding sources and guidance for schemes on how they can contribute to Government floor targets. A sustainability event for London was organised in July.

Travellers' Sites

David Heath: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on enforcement action by local authorities in respect of unauthorised Travellers' sites.

Keith Hill: Local authorities have a wide range of discretionary enforcement powers to enable them to deal with unauthorised Travellers' sites.
	The temporary stop notice has been introduced in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to give local authorities greater ability to respond quickly to inappropriate developments of all kinds.

Travellers' Sites

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Traveller caravans were on (a) authorised and (b) unauthorised sites in each local authority in England in each year since 1997.

Keith Hill: The information requested has been made available in the Library of the House.

Local Government Reform

David Borrow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to re-examine local government structures.

Nick Raynsford: Following the decision of voters in the North East referendum on an Elected Regional Assembly, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans, at present, to introduce changes to the structure of local government.

Affordable Rural Housing

Norman Lamb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on planning policies relating to the provision of affordable housing in rural areas.

Keith Hill: The Government's draft changes to Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: "Housing" aims to increase affordable housing for local communities and key workers. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to build on existing rural exception policy by enabling local authorities to allocate sites solely for affordable housing. We are considering responses and intend to publish the update by the end of the year.

Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future of the Thames Gateway South Essex partnership.

Keith Hill: The Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership was established by the local authorities in South Essex to facilitate continued strategic leadership and collaboration on behalf of its partners in the East of England part of the Thames Gateway. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to continue working with the Partnership in taking forward the Thames Gateway programme in South Essex and I will be meeting with them at their Board meeting in January.

Housebuilding (West Sussex)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of housebuilding levels in West Sussex on Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Keith Hill: It is the responsibility of regional planning bodies to prepare regional spatial strategies for their areas, which will include providing housing figures for districts. In distributing housing, they will need to have regard to national guidance that the conservation of the natural beauty of the landscape and countryside should be given great weight in planning policies for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Affordable Housing (London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many shared ownership properties were sold in Southwark in each year since 1997; and how many of those properties were purchased by (a) someone already in social housing in that area, (b) someone on the single housing register in that area and (c) a key worker.

Keith Hill: Estimates of annual shared ownership sales in Southwark from 1997–98 to 2003–04 are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Total shared ownership sales in Southwark Shared ownership sales to people who were previously social tenants in Southwark Shared ownership sales in Southwark to purchasers who were registered on a local authority waiting list/common housing register 
		
		
			 1997–98 4 1 2 
			 1998–99 64 21 14 
			 1999–2000 21 4 9 
			 2000–01 10 5 6 
			 2001–02 61 31 19 
			 2002–03 44 26 10 
			 2003–04 76 15 35 
		
	
	Note:
	The occupation of purchasers was not collected as part of CORE Sales during the period 1997–98 to 2003–04. Consequently it is not possible to provide figures on the number of key workers that bought shared ownership properties in Southwark during this period.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation: CORE Sales.

Affordable Housing (London)

Kate Hoey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many shared ownership properties were sold in Lambeth in each year since 1997; and how many of those properties were purchased by (a) someone already in social housing in that area, (b) someone on the single housing register in that area and (c) a key worker.

Keith Hill: Estimates of annual shared ownership sales in Lambeth from 1997–98 to 2003–04 are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Total shared ownership sales in Lambeth Shared ownership sales to people who were previously social tenants in Lambeth Shared ownership sales in Lambeth to purchasers who were registered on a local authority waiting list/common housing register 
		
		
			 1997–98 43 19 13 
			 1998–99 68 19 20 
			 1999–2000 49 11 10 
			 2000–01 41 8 23 
			 2001–02 20 2 10 
			 2002–03 48 8 29 
			 2003–04 55 5 41 
		
	
	Note:
	The occupation of purchasers was not collected as part of CORE Sales during the period 1997–98 to 2003–04. Consequently it is not possible to provide figures on the number of key workers that bought shared ownership properties in Lambeth during this period.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation: CORE Sales.

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Decent Homes Standard

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much has been spent on promoting the Decent Homes Standard.

Keith Hill: This financial year the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has spent just under £8,000 promoting the Decent Homes Programme. This money was spent on the Decent Homes Event held on 5 May 2004. This event was to announce policy changes to the financing of the programme, the success of local authority bids for additional funding and the achievement of a 1 million reduction in the number of non-decent homes.
	It is up to individual local authorities to decide how they wish to promote the standard, as they will need to take into account the situation in their authority, i.e. size of area, distribution of stock. This will determine any amount they spend.

Departmental Archaeologists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many professional archaeologists are employed in his Department.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not employ archaeologists.

Departmental Events (Funding)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002.
	Details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 are published in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Annual Report for 2003 published on 13 May 2003 and the Annual Report for 2004 published on 30 April 2004.
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Freedom of Information Act

Julian Lewis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the likely costs to his Department in the first quarter of 2005 of compliance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister already deals with requests for information under the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and the Environmental Information Regulations. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made an assessment, through internal research, and estimates that the introduction of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act will generate additional requests for information above and beyond the volumes that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently handling, but this research suggests that it is not possible to quantify the additional volumes reliably.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has implemented a variety of measures aimed at keeping down the costs of responding to FOI requests which include general awareness raising for staff, more detailed training for inquiry handlers in the handling of FOI requests and the introduction of efficient standardised request handling procedures and systems. In so doing, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made full use of central guidance from the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The efficiency and effectiveness of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's procedures and systems is currently being tested in the run up to full implementation of FOI access rights on 1 January 2005.

Gambling

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the occasions on which (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met representatives of (i) US casino operators, (ii) British casino operators and (iii) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting.

Phil Hope: Since the publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206) in July 2001, the Department has undertaken a very extensive programme of consultations with interested bodies about options and proposals for changes to gambling law in Great Britain. There have been two formal public consultations, the first on the Review Body's report and the second on the draft clauses published for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2003. In addition to these consultations the relevant Government Departments have corresponded with and met-individual companies, trade associations, charities and other bodies concerned with problem gambling or who benefit from lotteries, local authorities, trade unions, law enforcement agencies, academics and many other bodies and individuals, including member of the public, with an interest. These contacts, designed to ensure that the Government's policy proposals are sound and take full account of all relevant benefits, costs and risks, have involved both Ministers and officials. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code.

Government Offices for the Regions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the responsibilities of the Government Offices for the Regions; and if he will break down the components of their estimated programme expenditure in the current financial year by main budget heading.

Phil Hope: The responsibilities of the Government Offices for the Regions are set out in the Regional Co-ordination Unit and Government Office Network Corporate Plan 2004–05. A copy of which will be made available in the Library of the House.
	Details of the programme expenditure of the Government Office for the Region (GO) are given in their published annual reports. A copy of each GO's most recent report will be made available in the Library of the House. Two GOs are still to publish their reports for the year 2003–04 and those will also be made available in the Library of the House in due course.

Government Offices for the Regions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will break down the programme expenditure of each Government Office for the Regions in (a) 1997 and (b) the current year by main budget heading.

Phil Hope: Details of the programme expenditure of the Government Office for the Region (GO) are given in their published annual reports. A copy of each GO's most recent report will be made available in the Library of the House. Two GOs are still to publish their reports for the year 2003/04 and those will also be made available in the Library of the House in due course.

Home Ownership

William Cash: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many homes have been transferred in large scale voluntary transfers by local authorities since 1 May 1997;
	(2)  how many local authorities have completed a large scale voluntary transfer since 1 May 1997.

Keith Hill: Since 1 May 1997, 100 local authorities have completed large scale voluntary transfers (LSVTs) and as a result 604,158 dwellings have been transferred.

Home Ownership

William Cash: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homes are in the ownership of local authorities.

Keith Hill: The latest data returns to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister from local authorities in England record a stock of 2,309,948 at April 1 2004. Since then there has been some loss of stock resulting from transfers to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and from the exercise of Right To Buy.

Housing (Leicester)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people are on the housing list waiting to be rehoused in Leicester.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is advised by Leicester city council that there are currently 13,000 people on their housing waiting list.

Housing Directorate

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total number of employees was within the Housing Directorate and its predecessor for each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established in May 2002.
	The Housing Directorate currently employs 125 staff but this is only part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's work on housing, which is integrated into the work of a number of directorates across the Office. Owing to changes in the structure of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister since May 2002 it is not possible to give meaningful equivalent figures for previous years.

Key Worker Scheme

Tony McWalter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to expand the key worker scheme; and if he will include in the scheme essential personnel such as mental health support workers.

Keith Hill: The Key Worker Living programme aims to keep the skills needed in frontline public services, in areas where there are significant recruitment and retention needs.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises that all key worker groups provide a valuable service, however resources are finite and decisions prioritising those eligible for assistance from the scheme have been made following discussions with key worker sponsor departments to set the key worker groups and areas where the assistance will be targeted. Based on current evidence, we have no plans to extend the scheme.
	Key workers who are not eligible for the Key Worker Living programme may benefit from shared ownership and Homebuy programmes funded by the Housing Corporation to help existing social tenants and those on waiting lists into home ownership.

Ministerial Meetings

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what meetings (a) he, (b) his departmental Ministers and (c) advisers and officials have held with representatives of (i) Sun City International, (ii) MGM Mirage, (iii) Mandalay Resort Group, (iv) Kerzner International, (v) Las Vegas Sands, Inc.,(vi) Harrah's Entertainment, (vii) Caesar's Entertainment and (viii) other foreign casino firms; what the (A) dates and (B) venues of the meetings were; and which individuals were present;
	(2)  how many recent meetings (a) officials and (b) special advisers of his Department have had with representatives of (a) Sun International, (b) MGM Mirage, (c) Kerzner International, (d) Caesar's Entertainment and (e) the British Casino Association.

James Gray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many recent meetings he has had with representatives of (a) Sun International, (b) MGM Mirage, (c) Kerzner International, (d) Caesar's Entertainment and (e) the British Casino Association; when those meetings took place; and if he will list the representatives whom he met from each organisation;
	(2)  which (a) UK and (b) international organisations have submitted written representations to the Department concerning the Government's proposals for changes to legislation on gambling; and on what dates each representation (i) was received and (ii) was given a substantive response;
	(3)  what dates (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department have held meetings with representatives of the UK gambling industry to discuss proposed changes to legislation on gambling;
	(4)  if he will list the overseas visits made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department in relation to proposed changes to legislation on gambling; what the itinerary was for each visit; how long each visit lasted; which hotels were used; what the cost was in each case; and how each visit was funded.

Phil Hope: Since the publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206) in July 2001, the Department has undertaken a very extensive programme of consultations with interested bodies about options and proposals for changes to gambling law in Great Britain. There have been two formal public consultations, the first on the Review Body's report and the second on the draft clauses published for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2003. In addition to these consultations the relevant Government Departments have corresponded with and met-individual companies, trade associations, charities and other bodies concerned with problem gambling or who benefit from lotteries, local authorities, trade unions, law enforcement agencies, academics and many other bodies and individuals, including members of the public, with an interest. These contacts, designed to ensure that the Government's policy proposals are sound and take full account of all relevant benefits, costs and risks, have involved both Ministers and officials. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code.

Ministerial Visits

James Gray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has visited (a) Las Vegas and (b) Atlantic City in his official capacity.

Phil Hope: Since 1999 this Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House.
	Information on travel by officials is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
	All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

New Deal for Communities

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the New Deal for Communities in (a) West Derbyshire and (b) the east midlands on (i) reducing crime, (ii) creating jobs and (iii) raising standards in education since 1998.

Phil Hope: The information is as follows:
	(a) There are no New Deal for Communities (NDC) partnerships in West Derbyshire so there is no direct benefit to West Derbyshire from New Deal for Communities programme.
	(b) In the east midlands, there are three NDC partnerships, in Leicester (Braunstone), Derby (Derwent) and Nottingham (Radford and Hyson Green).
	The NDC programme is scrutinised and reviewed using two, complementary and linked streams of work:
	a performance management system, which drives annual and mid-year reviews, lead by the Government Offices for the Regions. Partnerships reviewed their own performance and the results that they are starting to achieve.
	the NDC National Evaluation, providing external assessment at partnership, programme and theme level, lead by Sheffield Hallam University.
	The evidence provided in these reviews by the NDC partnerships show that partnerships in the east midlands are beginning to make an impact in reducing crime, creating jobs and raising standards in education. For example:
	In Nottingham the NDC has recruited and trained local residents to act as teaching assistants;
	In the Derby NDC area, GCSE results are up 30 per cent. in the first three years of the programme;
	In Braunstone, 89 jobs have been created and 350 residents have accessed employment.
	Nottingham NDC's achievements on reducing crime include target hardening, street lighting, extra policing and neighbourhood wardens;
	In the Braunstone area of Leicester, burglary has fallen by 40.6 per cent. and theft of and from vehicles reduced by 48.6 per cent.
	A national evaluation has been commissioned to examine the impact and effectiveness of the New Deal for Communities. A number of reports have already been published and a full interim report will be made available in autumn 2005.

New Deal for Communities

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to (a) continue and (b) develop New Deal for Communities schemes in (i) West Derbyshire and (ii) the East Midlands.

Phil Hope: The information is as follows:
	(i) There are no New Deal for Communities (NDC) schemes in West Derbyshire. There are no plans to develop any NDC schemes in West Derbyshire.
	(ii) In the East Midlands, there are three NDC schemes, in Leicester (Braunstone), Derby (Derwent) and Nottingham (Radford and Hyson Green). The Leicester programme is scheduled to complete in seven years (in 2006–07), the Nottingham programme is scheduled to run over 10 years and will continue until 2009–10 and the Derby Partnership, also over 10 years, until 2010–11. There are no plans to develop any further rounds of NDC.

New Deal for Communities

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) schemes and (b) funding made available to West Derbyshire since 1998 under the New Deal for Communities.

Phil Hope: There are no New Deal for Communities (NDC) schemes in the West Derbyshire district and so no funding has been made available in the area under the NDC scheme.

Public Conveniences

John Grogan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to amend section 87 of the Public Health Act 1936 in order to make it mandatory for local authorities to provide public conveniences.

Phil Hope: The Government have no plans to amend section 87 of the Public Health Act 1936 to make it mandatory for local authorities to provide public conveniences.

Regional Co-ordination Unit

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the functions are of the Regional Co-ordination Unit; what guidelines have been issued governing its activities; and to whom it reports.

Phil Hope: The unit's current responsibilities are set out in the Regional Co-ordination Unit and Government Office Network Corporate Plan 2004–05. A copy of this has been made available in the Library of the House.

Fire Service

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the terms of the tender for the regional fire control centre for the South West were; how many bids were received; how many were shortlisted; and what shortlisting process was used for the tenders.

Nick Raynsford: The tender for the control centre was for a private developer scheme using the "Restricted" procedure of the EU Services Directive, advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21 April 2004. In parallel, submissions were invited from the public sector to be put forward with the endorsement of the relevant Regional Management Board. In the South West 31 sites were put forward in 28 submissions, including regional submissions. The criteria for the evaluation were determined by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Corporate Procurement. A financial evaluation was undertaken of the private sector submissions. A technical evaluation was undertaken on a like for like basis of private sector and regionally submitted sites, including site visits by local property advisors. Those that passed the criteria were then visited by the full technical team. Each stage of the process concluded with a moderation meeting. The meeting at the final stage was attended by a representative from the Local Government Association.

Fire Service

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role regional chambers (a) have and (b) will have in relation to fire and rescue services.

Nick Raynsford: The regional chambers have no role in relation to fire and rescue services. There are no plans to change this.

Regional Housing Boards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  which regions have established regional housing boards;
	(2)  how regional housing boards are funded; and what their estimated budgets are in the forthcoming financial year;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the relationship between regional housing boards and regional chambers.

Keith Hill: The Communities Plan, published in March 2003, introduced a regional housing board in each of the nine English regions, chaired by the regional director of the Government Office. The boards receive no direct funding: secretariat costs are met from within existing Government Office budgets. The regional chamber (in London the GLA) is a key member of each board. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently consulting on our proposal that to achieve greater integration at the regional level between housing and planning responsibility for the work of the regional housing boards (i.e. production of a regional housing strategy and making recommendations to Ministers on allocations for housing capital investment) should pass to the regional chamber, which, in each region, is already the regional planning body.

Select Committee Recommendations

Graham Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many recommendations by parliamentary select committees have been adopted by his Department since June 2001.

Phil Hope: Select committee reports are given very careful consideration by the Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Since June 2001, several committees of both Houses have made recommendations on matters for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible. Select Committee reports and their responses are a matter of public record.

South East England Regional Assembly

Peter Viggers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost will be of the south east England regional assembly sending a questionnaire to households to gauge their views on housebuilding.

Keith Hill: The regional assembly currently estimate it will cost in the order of £175,000 to provide leaflets with a brief questionnaire to all households and to local authorities for wider distribution, in order to gauge views on spatial options for future development in the south east.

PRIME MINISTER

Butler Report

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, column 250W, whether he has a timescale for completing the implementation of the Butler recommendations.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to my answer of 3 November, Official Report, column 250W.

Honours System

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister what changes he plans to make to the Honours system.

Tony Blair: I shall respond to the reviews carried out by the Public Administration Select Committee and Sir Hayden Phillips shortly.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will publish the evidence on the basis of which he disputed the findings, published in The Lancet, estimating the number of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of military actions since 20 March 2003;
	(2)  what bodies are (a) funded and (b) supported by the British Government to gather, collate and publish the number of Iraqi civilians (i) killed and (ii) injured by the military actions of coalition forces;
	(3)  pursuant to his oral answer of 3 November 2004, Official Report, column 301, to the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) if he will request the Iraqi Ministry of Health to furnish him with a breakdown of the 3,000 deaths by (a) gender, (b) age, (c) location and (d) cause;
	(4)  what action he plans to take to ensure independent assessment of civilian casualties in Falluja as a result of the recent military activities; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement "Iraq: Casualty Estimates: Lancet Study" made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Straw) today.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) of 3 November 2004, Official Report, column 301, if he will request the Iraqi Ministry of Health to furnish him with the number of civilian deaths in the six months from November 2003 to April 2004, broken down by (a) gender, (b) age, (c) location and (d) cause.

Tony Blair: The Iraqi Ministry of Health only began collating figures for civilian casualties in April 2004. They are unable to provide figures for periods before that.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) of 3 November 2004, Official Report, column 301, if he will list the sources other than the figures provided by the Iraqi Minister of Health which caused him not to accept figures of civilian deaths reported by The Lancet.

Tony Blair: As I made clear in my answer to the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) on 3 November, Official Report, column 301, the figures to which I referred were from the Iraqi Ministry of Health.

Iraq

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects Saddam Hussein to be brought to trial; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Saddam Hussein was arraigned by an Iraqi court on 1 July and appeared before the court again last month. It is for the Iraqi courts to determine the timing of Saddam Hussein's trial.

Parliamentary Questions

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what his policy is on making corrections in the Official Report of parliamentary answers which turn out to be inaccurate.

Tony Blair: I act in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abattoirs

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which (a) abattoirs and (b) low-throughput abattoirs (i) operated in 1997, (ii) operated in 2001 and (iii) operate now.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of licensed abattoirs in the United Kingdom in the years 1997, 2001 and currently is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Full throughput Low throughput 
		
		
			 Red meat abattoirs  
			 1997 473(1) 
			 2001 238 156 
			 2004(2) 225 130 
			 Poultry meat abattoirs 
			 1997 172(1)  
			 2001 97 54 
			 2004(2) 87 50 
		
	
	(1) No separate figures for low throughput category available.
	(2) To 1 October.
	Lists of the names and addresses of these abattoirs in the years requested are only partially available. The following have been placed in the Library:
	1997—no available lists.
	1998—list of full throughput and low throughput abattoirs in England (lists for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not available).
	2001—lists of full throughput and low throughput abattoirs in England and Scotland (lists for Wales and Northern Ireland are not available).
	2004—lists of full throughput and low throughput abattoirs in the United Kingdom.

Archaeology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many professional archaeologists are employed in her Department.

Alun Michael: There are no posts within the Department that require qualified archaeologists.

Chewing Gum

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much it cost to fund the Chewing Gum Action Group chewing gum segmentation survey.

Alun Michael: The chewing gum segmentation study, commissioned by the Chewing Gum Action Group cost £60,170. It has provided valuable information about the different ways in which gum chewers dispose of gum after use and will assist by informing campaigns to change behaviour.

Chewing Gum

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers she plans to give to local authorities to tackle the problem of chewing gum.

Alun Michael: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities and police community support officers already have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to those who drop chewing gum. The current level of fixed penalty is £50. The Government are working with local authorities and with business to promote action to tackle problems arising from the dropping of chewing gum.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made, in relation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, of the effect on tiger and leopard populations of the trade in animal skins between India, Nepal, Tibet and China; if she will make representations to the authorities in those countries on the matter; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government have not made a formal assessment, but we are concerned that the poaching and illegal trade in Asian big cats is a serious problem. Since the 1990s the evidence suggested that use for traditional medicine was the major factor behind much of the poaching that was taking place but more recently the demand for big cat skins has re-emerged as a key issue. The impact of this illegal trade is difficult to assess because there is so little information on the scale of the trade and the population data for some of the species concerned is scarce and unreliable.
	The CITES Secretariat did some research into this illegal trade as part of their enforcement missions to Bhutan and China (including Tibet) that were carried out in the summer of 2003 with funding from the UK. The Government are aware that large seizures that have been made by the authorities in China, India and Nepal and have provided the CITES Secretariat with some £15,000 to help fund a meeting of the Tiger Enforcement Task Force to look into this trade. This is planned to take place in the spring of 2005 and aims to help the countries concerned set up appropriate mechanisms for the exchange of relevant intelligence that will enable them to work together to crack down on this illegal trade.

Deer /Bovine TB

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many (a) farmed and (b) park deer were slaughtered at abattoirs in the last five years;
	(2)  how many (a) farmed, (b) park and (c) wild deer entered the human food chain in the UK in each of the past five years; and what percentage of the carcases were subject to inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have advised that it is not possible to determine the percentage of deer carcases in the United Kingdom which have been subject to inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) in Great Britain and Department for Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in Northern Ireland. This is because only meat from wild deer destined for the export market is required to be processed in licensed premises and inspected by the MHS or DARD. However, operators of licensed wild game processing facilities producing wild deer intended for the domestic market can choose to have their wild deer inspected and health-marked for commercial reasons.
	Premises which only supply wild game to the domestic market are not licensed and are under local authority control. The number of wild deer processed in unlicensed premises or supplied directly to the final consumer are not recorded centrally.
	The table shows the number of deer in Great Britain that are recorded as having been slaughtered and/or processed in licensed farmed game handling facilities (the deer farm), farmed game processing facilities, red meat slaughterhouses and wild game processing facilities, and inspected by the MHS. The data for wild deer comprises carcases either for export, the domestic market (when requested by the producer) or exported in fur. Park deer are those living within an enclosed area under conditions of freedom similar to those enjoyed by wild deer. They are shot and handled as if they were wild.
	Information on the number of deer in Northern Ireland processed in licensed premises and inspected by DARD is not currently collected centrally.
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 1 
		
		
			 Farmed game handling and processing facilities 4,296 3,605 3,464 3,153 2,175 
			 Red meat slaughterhouses 1,425 1,644 2,241 649 496 
			 Wild game processing facilities 84,403 49,452 73,308 81,826 56,524 
			 GB total 90,124 54,701 79,013 85,628 59,195 
		
	
	(3) Covers 1 January 2004 to 30 September 2004

Deer /Bovine TB

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk posed to human health by the consumption of deer in relation to bovine TB; and what discussions she has had with the Food Standards Agency on this issue.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Food Standards Agency has advised that bacteria are killed by proper cooking and there are no recorded instances of humans catching bovine TB from the consumption of meat.

Domestic Water Bills

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average percentage increase in domestic water bills has been since May 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The average increase in domestic water bills in England and Wales since 199798 has been 11 per cent. for water and 8 per cent. for sewerage (a reduction of 7 per cent. for water and 9 per cent. for sewerage in real terms). A company by company breakdown of the average domestic water and sewerage bills for each company in England and Wales for each financial year since 199697 is set out in the following tables in both cash and real terms.
	
		Nominal average household water bill -- 
		
			  Total water 
			  199798  199899  19992000  200001  200102  
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies   
			 Anglian 124.84  124.09  121.36  108.16  112.13  
			 Dwr Cymru 133.14  133.58  134.67  125.73  124.81  
			 North West 98.94  100.63  103.95  104.51  105.35  
			 Northumbrian (including  Essex and Suffolk) 105.65  102.33  108.17  95.59  97.00  
			 Northumbrian 98.37  102.60  100.50  102.87  88.23  
			 Essex and Suffolk 116.62  101.93  119.70  103.93  109.99  
			 Severn Trent 95.45  101.49  112.14  105.86  108.01  
			 South West 126.83  122.02  118.15  108.65  110.12  
			 Southern 100.52  104.76  111.78  91.10  90.73  
			 Thames 92.10  99.62  104.12  99.04  103.85  
			 Wessex 116.92  120.99  126.55  109.99  111.00  
			 Yorkshire (including York) 101.65  109.10  116.21  100.34  103.39  
			 Yorkshire 102.09  109.72  117.04  100.79  103.96  
			 York 90.72  93.79  95.88  89.25  89.58  
			 Water only companies 
			 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 96.19  97.83  100.03  98.85  98.32  
			 Bristol 103.49  108.01  111.77  101.32  104.84  
			 Cambridge 103.40  102.14  94.60  89.44  92.58  
			 Dee Valley 119.93  120.23  119.95  106.49  106.37  
			 Folkestone and Dover 109.41  113.57  116.12  117.00  122.28  
			 Mid Kent 135.92  142.68  147.49  114.73  121.72  
			 Portsmouth 72.76  74.29  75.44  73.95  75.11  
			 South East 134.93  137.28  136.80  117.62  124.19  
			 South Staffs 79.33  80.96  83.52  85.33  87.02  
			 Sutton and East Surrey 138.21  138.35  133.62  115.01  119.60  
			 Tendring Hundred 143.57  146.38  147.90  132.20  138.73  
			 Three Valleys (including North Surrey) 111.37  116.68  123.67  106.44  109.02  
			 Three Valleys 111.17  116.10  123.44  88.18  110.23  
			 North Surrey 112.39  119.65  124.82  106.65  102.68  
			 Industry 105.34  108.67  113.03  103.69  106.13  
			
			 RPI  153.9  159.6  164.4  166.7  172.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Total water 
			  200203  2003041  2004052  Percentage increase 199798 to 200405 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies  
			 Anglian 109.82  115.08  119.90  -4 
			 Dwr Cymru 124.39  122.25  123.49  -7 
			 North West 108.47  116.23  132.92  34 
			 Northumbrian (including Essex and Suffolk) 97.37  100.26  112.53  7 
			 Northumbrian 88.18  90.19  101.19  3 
			 Essex and Suffolk 111.07  115.44  129.55  11 
			 Severn Trent 107.27  112.09  116.26  22 
			 South West 115.15  120.78  127.72  1 
			 Southern 89.37  90.87  91.91  -9 
			 Thames 104.68  106.52  111.58  21 
			 Wessex 112.10  119.55  125.27  7 
			 Yorkshire (including York) 104.57  110.48  116.02  14 
			 Yorkshire 105.18  111.12  117.29  15 
			 York 89.84  95.06  85.22  -6 
			 
			 Water only companies  
			 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 98.15  99.70  104.29  8 
			 Bristol 107.05  109.26  109.48  6 
			 Cambridge 90.65  92.93  94.37  -9 
			 Dee Valley 104.86  105.24  106.85  -11 
			 Folkestone and Dover 128.91  137.63  142.57  30 
			 Mid Kent 125.53  127.72  130.30  -4 
			 Portsmouth 74.39  75.63  77.08  6 
			 South East 122.62  125.86  129.62  -4 
			 South Staffs 86.22  88.17  92.14  16 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 123.42  123.14  125.38  -9 
			 Tendring Hundred 143.41  153.72  161.91  13 
			 Three Valleys (including North Surrey) 110.85  114.71  116.32  4 
			 Three Valleys 111.73  115.15  117.73  6 
			 North Surrey 106.32  112.41  109.02  -3 
			 Industry 106.77  110.67  116.92  11 
			 
			 RPI  173.6  178.2  182.7 19 
		
	
	
		Average household water bill () in 200405
		
			  Total water 
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies 
			 Anglian 148.20 142.05 134.87 118.54 119.04 
			 Dwr Cymru 158.06 152.91 149.66 137.80 132.49 
			 North West 117.46 115.19 115.52 114.54 111.84 
			 Northumbrian (including Essex and Suffolk) 125.42 117.14 120.21 104.77 102.97 
			 Northumbrian 116.78 117.45 111.69 112.74 93.67 
			 Essex and Suffolk 138.44 116.68 133.02 113.90 116.77 
			 Severn Trent 113.31 116.18 124.62 116.02 114.66 
			 South West 150.56 139.68 131.30 119.08 116.90 
			 Southern 119.33 119.92 124.22 99.84 96.32 
			 Thames 109.34 114.04 115.71 108.55 110.24 
			 Wessex 138.80 138.50 140.64 120.55 117.83 
			 Yorkshire (including York) 120.67 124.89 129.15 109.97 109.76 
			 Yorkshire 121.20 125.60 130.07 110.46 110.37 
			 York 107.70 107.37 106.55 97.81 95.10 
			   
			 Water only companies  
			 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 114.19 111.99 111.16 108.33 104.38 
			 Bristol 122.86 123.64 124.21 111.05 111.30 
			 Cambridge 122.75 116.92 105.13 98.03 98.28 
			 Dee Valley 142.37 137.63 133.30 116.71 112.93 
			 Folkestone and Dover 129.88 130.01 129.05 128.22 129.81 
			 Mid Kent 161.36 163.33 163.91 125.74 129.22 
			 Portsmouth 86.38 85.04 83.84 81.05 79.74 
			 South East 160.18 157.15 152.03 128.91 131.83 
			 South Staffs 94.18 92.68 92.82 93.52 92.38 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 164.07 158.37 148.49 126.05 126.96 
			 Tendring Hundred 170.44 167.57 164.36 144.89 147.27 
			 Three Valleys (including North Surrey) 132.21 133.56 137.44 116.66 115.74 
			 Three Valleys 131.98 132.90 137.18 96.64 117.02 
			 North Surrey 133.42 136.97 138.71 116.88 109.00 
			 Industry 125.05 124.40 125.61 113.64 112.67 
		
	
	
		
			  Total water 
			  200203 2003041 2004052 Percentage increase 199798 to 200405 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies 
			 Anglian 115.58 117.99 119.90 -19 
			 Dwr Cymru 130.91 125.34 123.49 -22 
			 North West 114.15 119.16 132.92 13 
			 Northumbrian (including Essex and Suffolk) 102.47 102.80 112.53 -10 
			 Northumbrian 92.80 92.47 101.19 -13 
			 Essex and Suffolk 116.89 118.35 129.55 -6 
			 Severn Trent 112.89 114.92 116.26 3 
			 South West 121.19 123.83 127.72 -15 
			 Southern 94.05 93.17 91.91 -23 
			 Thames 110.17 109.21 111.58 2 
			 Wessex 117.97 122.57 125.27 -10 
			 Yorkshire (including York) 110.05 113.27 116.02 -4 
			 Yorkshire 110.69 113.93 117.29 -3 
			 York 94.55 97.46 85.22 -21 
			  
			 Water only companies 
			 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 103.30 102.22 104.29 -9 
			 Bristol 112.66 112.01 109.48 -11 
			 Cambridge 95.40 95.27 94.37 -23 
			 Dee Valley 110.36 107.89 106.85 -25 
			 Folkestone and Dover 135.66 141.10 142.57 10 
			 Mid Kent 132.11 130.94 130.30 -19 
			 Portsmouth 78.29 77.54 77.08 -11 
			 South East 129.05 129.04 129.62 -19 
			 South Staffs 90.74 90.40 92.14 -2 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 129.89 126.24 125.38 -24 
			 Tendring Hundred 150.93 157.60 161.91 -5 
			 Three Valleys (including North Surrey) 116.66 117.60 116.32 -12 
			 Three Valleys 117.58 118.06 117.73 -11 
			 North Surrey 111.89 115.25 109.02 -18 
			 Industry 112.36 113.46 116.92 -7 
		
	
	
		Nominal average household water bill -- 
		
			  Total sewerage 
			  199798  199899  19992000  200001  200102  
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies
			 Anglian 156  162  158  146  150  
			 Dwr Cymru 145  155  166  140  147  
			 North West 122  130  141  120  119  
			 Northumbrian (including  Essex and Suffolk) 118  126  142  110  112  
			 Severn Trent 110  112  115  93  97  
			 South West 208  220  236  204  202  
			 Southern 143  151  162  146  151  
			 Thames 97  101  103  91  94  
			 Wessex 134  140  148  132  133  
			 Yorkshire (including York) 111  119  126  109  112  
			 Industry 122.40  128.59  134.45  116.37  119.11  
			
			 RPI  153.9  159.6  164.4  166.7  172.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Total sewerage 
			  200203  2003041  2004052  Percentage increase 199798 to 200405 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies  
			 Anglian 154  162  169  9 
			 Dwr Cymru 152  156  163  12 
			 North West 121  124  139  13 
			 Northumbrian (including Essex and Suffolk) 113  117  131  12 
			 Severn Trent 96  101  105  -5 
			 South West 212  222  233  12 
			 Southern 154  161  167  17 
			 Thames 94  95  97  0 
			 Wessex 134  143  150  12 
			 Yorkshire (including York) 114  119  125  13 
			 Industry 120.60  125.17  132.02  8 
			 RPI  173.6  178.2  182.7 19 
		
	
	
		Average household water bill () in 200405 prices
		
			  Total sewerage 
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies 
			 Anglian 185 186 176 160 159 
			 Dwr Cymru 172 177 184 154 156 
			 North West 145 149 157 132 127 
			 Northumbrian (including Essex and Suffolk) 140 144 158 121 119 
			 Severn Trent 131 128 128 102 103 
			 South West 247 252 262 223 215 
			 Southern 169 173 180 160 160 
			 Thames 115 116 115 100 99 
			 Wessex 160 161 164 145 141 
			 Yorkshire (including York) 131 136 140 120 119 
			 Industry 145 147 149 128 126 
		
	
	
		
			  Total sewerage 
			  200203 2003041 2004052 Percentage increase 199798 to 200405 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies 
			 Anglian 162 166 169 -9 
			 Dwr Cymru 160 160 163 -5 
			 North West 127 128 139 -5 
			 Northumbrian (including Essex and Suffolk) 119 120 131 -6 
			 Severn Trent 101 103 105 -20 
			 South West 224 227 233 -5 
			 Southern 162 165 167 -1 
			 Thames 99 98 97 -16 
			 Wessex 141 146 150 -6 
			 Yorkshire (including York) 119 122 125 -5 
			 Industry 127 128 132 -9 
		
	
	(4) Provisional bill
	(5) Forecast bill

Fisheries

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cod by-catch from hauls using (a) 80 mm and (b) 110 mm mesh in cod ends deployed by the Fleetwood over 10 metre fishing fleet in the Eastern Irish Sea were in the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is only available on the proportion that cod made up of total landings of fish caught in the Irish Sea, as opposed to total catches of fish, and this is given in the following table. This excludes any fish that may have been caught and then discarded before landing. There are several different types of fishing gear that have been used with the mesh sizes quoted, depending on the species of fish being targeted. Only those involving otter trawl in any form have been included. In addition, the 110 mm mesh size was not used significantly in the Irish Sea by the over 10 metre vessels based in Fleetwood until 2003, when it made up a sixth of the trips carried out. Prior to that year, 100 mm and 80 mm gear represented the most frequently used mesh sizes. The figures represent averages, and there is considerable variability seen between individual vessels and individual months of the year.
	
		Average percentage of cod in landings from the Irish Sea caught using otter trawl type gears with cod-ends of mesh sizes
		
			  80 mm 100 mm 110 mm 
		
		
			 1993 20 n/a n/a 
			 1994 8 41 n/a 
			 1995 15 38 n/a 
			 1996 9 25 n/a 
			 1997 10 25 n/a 
			 1998 17 26 4 
			 1999 10 25 n/a 
			 2000 4 18 n/a 
			 2001 6 14 n/a 
			 2002 4 19 0 
			 2003 4 12 4 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable as mesh size not used by any Fleetwood based over 10 metre vessels during the year on fishing in the Irish Sea

Emissions Trading

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on how the European Emissions Trading Scheme will apply to non-EU companies operating in the UK.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 15 November 2004
	The EU Emissions Trading Scheme will apply to all installations operating in the UK regardless of whether they are owned by EU or non-EU companies. Operators must comply with the obligations set out in the regulations implementing the scheme in the UK. These include requirements to hold an emissions permit, and to monitor and report emissions of carbon dioxide.

Energy Efficiency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will arrange an international conference on energy efficiency objectives as part of the forthcoming UK presidency of the European Union.

Elliot Morley: There are no plans as yet to hold an event specifically focused on energy efficiency under the auspice of the UK's presidency of the European Union. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recognises the key role that energy efficiency will play in tackling climate change, which in addition is itself one of the two priorities for our G8 presidency. However ministers have not yet approved the programme of events, conferences and seminars that will be held next year.

Energy Recovery

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which organisation and for which projects her Department is providing funding to develop demonstration units in the UK for new technologies involved in energy recovery processes.

Elliot Morley: The Department funds the Carbon Trust to support the development of a low carbon economy in the UK. The Carbon Trust are contributing 150,000 to a project costing 430,000 to recover waste heat from industrial processes. In this case the Carbon Trust have defined energy recovery as recovering useful energy from a waste stream. Heat pumps would not come into this definition.
	As a private company provision of support and funding by the Carbon Trust is a matter for the Carbon Trust board. Defra does not provide direct funding to support the development of energy recovery processes.

Flood Prevention

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what flood prevention schemes have been implemented since 1997; and what the cost of such schemes has been, broken down by county.

Elliot Morley: We do not currently hold the information in the form requested. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, column 1013W. This included a list of flood defence (including flood warning) projects approved for Defra grant aid which started after 1 May 1997 and gave the Operating Authority, the date the scheme started and the approved cost.
	Officials have been asked to consider whether the data currently held can be analysed by county but this cannot be completed in the time available.

GM Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Dutch Government on the publication of national proposals for GM co-measures; and what discussions she has had with the IFOAM EU Group on the proposals.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 November 2004
	Each EU member state is responsible for developing its own proposals to ensure the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops. We are aware of the recent announcement that a commission has presented a national co-existence plan to the Dutch Government. We have not discussed this development with either the Dutch authorities or the IFOAM EU Group.

GM Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU countries have already put in place proposals for a compensation fund for farmers affected by GM contamination.

Elliot Morley: We are aware of three EU member states which have prepared definite proposals covering this issue. Denmark is proposing a levy per hectare of a GM crop to finance a compensation fund. Germany is proposing to amend its code of civil law to clarify liability in cases where a non-GM farmer suffers an economic loss as a result of a GM presence. Finally, Luxembourg is proposing that each GM grower will be required to take out a civil liability insurance contract.
	We understand that other member states are in the process of developing proposals but the details of these are not yet confirmed.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Bury Metropolitan borough council area have benefited from the home energy efficiency scheme in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 November 2004
	The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of September 2004 approximately 4,000 households in Bury Metropolitan borough council, received assistance from the scheme.
	This includes in the past three years:
	
		
			  Approximate number of households 
		
		
			 2002 1,000 
			 2003 1,000 
			 JanuarySeptember 2004 800

Kyoto Protocol

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the level of emissions reduction that will be needed after the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

Elliot Morley: The EU Environment Council has stated that to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, overall global temperatures should not exceed 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, with a carbon dioxide stabilisation level below 550ppm. To be on track for this goal, the UK considers that developed countries will need to make a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 20 per cent. by 2020 and 60 per cent. by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels), as outlined in the Government's Energy White Paper of 2003. The UK has therefore set itself on a path to achieve these reductions domestically.

Making Space for Water Consultation

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses her Department has received to its consultation Making Space for Water.

Elliot Morley: There have been 275 responses to the consultation.

Press Releases

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each month of 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly), on 11 November 2004, Official Report, column 855W.

Select Committees

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many recommendations by parliamentary select committees have been adopted by her Department since June 2001.

Alun Michael: Since 2001, several committees of both Houses have made recommendations on matters for which Defra is responsible and all have been given careful consideration by the Department's Ministers. Select Committee reports and their responses are a matter of public record.

Waste (Efficiency)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department will be taking to assist local authorities deliver efficiency gains in waste services.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 4 October 2004, Official Report, column 1946W.

Waste Disposal

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 903W, on waste disposal, whether she intends to publish the results of her Department's investigation of the feasibility of variable charging for waste before the end of the year.

Elliot Morley: The Department's work on variable household charging and household incentives for waste recycling and reduction is based on the body of existing, publicly available, research, supplemented by investigation into specific examples of such activity and by specially commissioned research.
	It is my intention to publish this new research once the Government have reached a decision on how best to proceed.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department will issue the (a) consultation document for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Permitting, (b) revised refrigerator guidance and (c) Environment Agency audit report; and if she will make representations to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to extend the deadline for responses to the consultation beyond 29 October.

Elliot Morley: As regards (a), the Department will consult on changes to waste management licensing in line with the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive as soon as practicable. The documents referred to at (b) and (c) are matters for the Environment Agency. As regards (b), the agency and industry are working together to identify reasonable levels for ozone depleting substances and revised guidance on the recovery and disposal of controlled substances contained in refrigerators and freezers will be produced once these levels have been agreed; it is anticipated that this will be in the New Year. As regards (c), the findings of an audit of fridge treatment facilities have been discussed with the site operators and the agency expects to publish the key findings shortly.

Waste Management

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department is conducting into (a) differential and (b) variable rate charging schemes for waste management.

Elliot Morley: The Department's work on variable household charging and household incentives for waste recycling and reduction is based on the body of existing, publicly available, research, supplemented by investigation into specific examples of such activity and by specially commissioned research into household incentives in England.

Waste Management

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the suitability of private finance initiatives as a funding option for waste management facilities and services in the UK.

Elliot Morley: Defra's Waste Implementation has commissioned a monitoring and evaluation study from The Public Private Partnerships Programme (The 4Ps) to obtain a clearer picture of the contribution of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) to the sustainable management of household waste in England. This was completed in January 2004.
	The study, which was based on the experience of the majority of all operational PFI projects to date, found that the contribution of PFI towards the achievement of national recycling targets and EU Landfill Directive targets was significant and growing. Existing operational and currently planned projects should reduce dependency on landfill by 14 per cent. of present levels if they delivered their contract objectives. The overwhelming majority of waste PFI projects were designed to achieve or exceed Landfill Directive targets for the procuring authorities.
	The report also found that quality management requirements and standards were consistently being met in PFI projects. There had been no significant failures in the quality of service provision. And there was no evidence that waste PFI projects took longer or cost more to procure than comparable projects in other sectors or large-scale, conventional procurements in the waste sector.

Wildlife Crime

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her plans to increase resources to tackle wildlife crime.

Elliot Morley: In recent years, the Department has made an important contribution to promoting and enhancing wildlife law enforcement activity, through, for example, the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime and also by providing over 0.5 million towards the establishment and maintenance of the National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit.
	However, responsibility for tackling wildlife crime rests primarily with the police service and HM Customs and Excise, and we have no plans to increase significantly resources in this area.

TRANSPORT

A38

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the section of the A38 between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh to be resurfaced with a noise-reducing surface; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Most of the section of the A38 between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh already has quieter surfacing. As parts of the carriageway are now worn out, this surfacing is due to be replaced, again with quieter materials, during a carriageway reconstruction and bridge repair scheme planned for autumn 2005, subject to the availability of finance.
	The other parts of the Buckfastleigh and Ashburton Bypasses, which currently have conventional surfacing, are in good condition and are not expected to require maintenance in the foreseeable future. Lower noise surfacing would be used when maintenance becomes necessary.

Aeroplane Collision

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cause was of two aeroplanes colliding at Manchester airport on 4 November; what assessment he has made of precautions in place to prevent such collisions; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: The accident is being investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Branch. As part of the investigation process the AAIB may make safety recommendations aimed at preventing similar accidents from occurring in the future. A report of the accident investigation and any safety recommendations will be published once the investigation has been completed.

Air Accident Investigation Branch

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the relocation of the Air Accident Investigation Branch from Farnborough; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport has no plans for the relocation of the Air Accident Investigation Branch from Farnborough.

Car Servicing Industry

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has held with stakeholders in the car servicing industry on improving standards.

David Jamieson: holding answer 16 November 2004
	None. This is a consumer issue so primary responsibility lies with the Department for Trade and Industry.

Commercial Drivers (Time Regulations)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the Government plan to enforce the new time regulations for commercial drivers and crew.

David Jamieson: Inspectors from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) will enforce the new working time regulations for commercial drivers; mainly, in response to complaints they receive.

Data Protection

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2004, Official Report, columns 15556W, on data protection, if he will make a statement on the conviction of Barry Dickinson, formerly employed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Charlotte Atkins: Mr. Barry Dickinson was dismissed from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency with effect from 14 October 2004. This followed a police investigation leading to a court case where he pleaded guilty to the charges against him. He was dismissed from the Agency for gross misconduct in connection with the release of information in contravention of the data protection rules.

Departmental Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which previously held contracts with his Department (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Department in each of the past four years.

Charlotte Atkins: The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental IT

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level.

Charlotte Atkins: At present, it is estimated that less than 1 per cent. of the Department's current or planned computer systems use open source software. The Department's procurement of software solutions follows the 'level playing field' Government OSS policy, which does not require the raising of levels of OSS usage in Government, rather that Government considers OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements and that contracts should be awarded on a value for money, case by case basis. The Government's OSS Policy can be viewed at www.govtalk.gov.uk.

Departmental Offices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of (a) decoration and (b) refurbishment of the London offices of the Department was in each of the last four years.

Charlotte Atkins: Since the Department's inception in May 2002 expenditure on its London offices has been:
	
		(000) plus VAT
		
			  200203 200304 
		
		
			 (a) decoration: nil 6,082 
			 (b) refurbishment works 298,233 99,807 
		
	
	In 200304 the Department also paid 1,203,362 plus VAT towards the fit out works for two floors that it has leased in a building in the Victoria area.

Departmental Policies (South Dorset)

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport has put in place a considerable programme of improvements across a wide range of transport policy areas since 1997. The South Dorset constituency will have benefited from these. For example, the injury totals for all road causalities in Great Britain fell from 327,803 in 1997 to 290,607 in 2003, and the numbers of children aged under 16 years killed or seriously injured on our roads fell from 6,452 in 1997 to 4,100 in 2003. On our railways, passenger kilometres have increased from 32.1 billion in 19967 to 40.9 billion in 20034, a rise of 27 per cent. In terms of improvements to air quality, emissions of the UK's two main pollutantsnitrous oxides and particlesfell by 31 per cent. and 27 per cent. respectively between 1997 and 2002.
	The funding provided direct to Dorset county council, which includes the South Dorset area, for local transport over the past five years is set out in the following table. It has been for Dorset county council to determine how that allocation has been spent, in line with their local transport plan and their priorities.
	
		million
		
			 Dorset 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Block 0.952 2.628 3.257 3.247 3.016 
			 Maintenance 1.645 5.807 6.218 6.444 7.437 
			 Total 2.597 8.435 9.475 9.691 10.453 
		
	
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

Departmental Publications

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which his Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department aims to publish statements, announcements and associated materials to the DfT website (www.dft.gov.uk) within 30 minutes of their release into the public domain. We achieve this in the majority of cases (over 95 per cent.) and this target is frequently exceeded. Press notices are published automatically as they are released.
	Where documents are not embargoed under a timed release, the aim is to publish the documents to the DfT website on the same day as they are released into the public domain. Practice across the Department's Executive Agencies generally mirrors the Departments although most aim for same day rather than 30-minute publishing.
	It is not possible to provide figures, which demonstrate the average interval between documents being published and appearing online, as not all publications are published centrally and not all are associated with identified statements and announcements.

Lighthouses

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were employed by (a) the Northern Lighthouse Board, (b) Trinity House and (c) the Commissioners of Irish Lights in each of the last 10 financial years; what the (i) role and (ii) terms of reference of each body are; and what the expenditure of each body was in each year.

David Jamieson: The information requested is set out below:
	
		
			 Financial year Average employees (including part-time) Operating costs ( millions) 
		
		
			 (a) Northern Lighthouse Board 
			 199495 447 19.1 
			 199596 430 18.7 
			 199697 416 18.7 
			 199798 405 18.4 
			 199809 402 18.9 
			 19992000 393 20.4 
			 200001 379 21.9 
			 200102 373 23.8 
			 200203 355 19.9 
			 200304 357 21.1 
			
			 (b) Trinity House Lighthouse Service  
			 199495 687 29.8 
			 199596 643 28.9 
			 199697 602 29.6 
			 199798 555 27.7 
			 199809 499 27.2 
			 19992000 466 26.7 
			 200001 450 28 
			 200102 439 29.6 
			 200203 438 26 
			 200304 421 27.9 
			
			 (c) Commissioners of Irish Lights  
			 199495 646 15.5 
			 199596 624 16.2 
			 199697 573 16.0 
			 199798 546 16.7 
			 199809 501 15.4 
			 19992000 511 15.7 
			 200001 529 16.8 
			 200102 515 16.4 
			 200203 453 15.9 
			 200304 419 17.1 
		
	
	All the figures in the table are cash prices
	The role and terms of reference of the General Lighthouse Authorities is to provide and maintain aids to navigation around the coastline of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar and to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost effective service for the benefit and safety of all mariners. The Trinity House Lighthouse Service provides the service for coastlines of England and Wales, the Northern Lighthouse Board for Scotland and the Isle of Man, and the Commissioners of Irish Lights for the whole of Ireland as an all Ireland body.

Road Accidents

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal road accidents in each year between 2000 and 2004 involved drivers that were foreign visitors, broken down by nationality of driver concerned.

David Jamieson: The information requested is not available.

Road Safety

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on road safety in Wirral, South.

David Jamieson: The Government are committed to helping local highway authorities play their part in delivering the national casualty reduction targets by 2010. The local highway authority has invested 1.1 million in road safety initiatives in Wirral, including 150,000 on traffic signal improvements in Wirral, South.

Roads

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve (a) maintenance, (b) signage and (c) markings on (i) trunk roads and (ii) motorways; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This Government have made the maintenance of trunk roads and motorways in England their first investment priority for strategic roads. The Highways Agency aims to carry out the right maintenance treatment at the right time in order to minimise costs and delays to traffic. Signage and markings are maintained in accordance with the Highways Agency's standards and guidance, which are kept under review.

Select Committee Recommendations

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recommendations by parliamentary select committees have been adopted by his Department since June 2001.

Charlotte Atkins: Select committee reports are given very careful consideration by the Department's Ministers. Since 29 May 2002, when this Department was formed, several committees of both Houses have made recommendations on matters for which the Department for Transport is responsible. Select committee reports and their responses are a matter of public record.

South West Trains

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2004, Official Report, columns 87174W, on South West Trains, what information the Strategic Rail Authority received from South West Trains concerning (a) the dates of the consultation exercise and (b) details of the representations they received; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: South West Trains (SWT) was not required to advise the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) of the dates of its consultation. SWT provided the SRA with a summary of the responses to its consultation between April and May 2004 and a copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Thameslink 2000

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the Thameslink 2000 project.

Tony McNulty: This project requires a number of different statutory approvals from the Department and from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Following a public inquiry between June 2000 and May 2001 decisions were deferred pending the resolution of three issues identified by the Inspector relating to deficiencies in the design of the scheme in central London.
	Now that Network Rail has submitted further planning and listed building consent applications to address those issues, we are considering with ODPM whether to re-open the earlier inquiry and, if so, what its scope should be.

Train Operating Companies

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much compensation has been paid to each train operating company in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The payments that are made to train operating companies (TOCs) are franchise payments in accordance with their contracts. Net franchise payments to TOCs are published in the Strategic Rail Authority's annual reports, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

TransPennine Express

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public subsidy was provided to the operator of the TransPennine Express franchise in each year since it was originally granted; and what the (a) punctuality and (b) reliability figures were for the operator of the TransPennine Express franchise in each of these years.

Tony McNulty: The TransPennine Express franchise commenced on 1 February 2004. Details of the subsidy payments made and due to be made to each train operating company are presented in the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA's) Annual Reports. Punctuality and reliability figures are presented in the SRA's Quarterly National Rail Trends. Copies of both documents are in the Libraries of the House.

Unstaffed Stations

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirements on franchisees to communicate information on delays to trains to passengers waiting at unstaffed train stations are planned.

Tony McNulty: All franchised train operators are required by their franchise agreements to provide passengers with accurate and timely information about delays, cancellations and disruptions. Most have installed public address systems to enable this information to be provided to passengers waiting at unstaffed stations. Where these are not provided, telephone information points are available at the stations which enable passengers to ask the nearest control centre for information about train running.

TREASURY

Cancer

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are suffering from cancer in (a) Chorley and (b) the North West.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many people are suffering from cancer in (a) Chorley and (b) North West. (198936)
	Figures on the number of people suffering from cancer at any point in time are not routinely calculated for England as a whole, or for areas within England. Available figures relate to newly diagnosed cases in each year and are for England and Government Office Regions only. The latest available figures are for the year 2001. These were published in Cancer statistics: registrations, England 2001. Series MB1 no.32. London: The Stationery Office, 2004 on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/MB1_32.pdf
	There were 32,533 newly diagnosed cases of cancer in the North West in 2001 (based on International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision codes C00-C97 excluding C44).

European Social Chapter

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the breakdown is by sector of the change in numbers of jobs in the United Kingdom since the UK adopted the European Social Chapter.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about change in numbers of jobs in the UK since the UK adoption of the social chapter, by sector. (198855)
	The UK signed-up to the social chapter on 2nd October 1997, following its endorsement of the Treaty of Amsterdam. On 1st May 1999, it came into force having been ratified by all the member States.
	The attached table shows the information requested, relating to change in jobs by sector, between the closest data reference points to these dates, September 1997 and June 1999, and the latest data reference point, June 2004.
	
		Change in numbers of jobs by sector: September 1997 to June 2004 -- United Kingdom (Thousand) seasonally adjusted
		
			  All jobs Agriculture and Fishing Energy and Water Manufacturing Construction 
			 SIC 92 sections A-O A-B C, E D F 
		
		
			 September 1997 28,428 583 224 4,490 1,779 
			 June 1999 29,032 516 212 4,374 1,835 
			 June 2004 30,324 420 203 3,648 2,117 
			   
			 Change from September 1997 to June 2004 1,896 -163 -21 -842 338 
			   
			 Change from June 1999 to June 2004 1,292 -96 -9 -726 282 
		
	
	
		United Kingdom (Thousand) seasonally adjusted
		
			  Distribution, Hotels and Restaurants Transport and Comms. Finance and Business Services Admin. Education and Health Other Services 
			 SIC 92 sections G, H I J-K L, N 0 
		
		
			 September 1997 6,621 1,603 5,023 6,492 1,613 
			 June 1999 6,683 1,692 5,345 6,670 1,704 
			 June 2004 7,004 1,796 5,849 7,398 1,890 
			   
			 Change from September 1997 to June 2004 383 193 826 906 277 
			   
			 Change from June 1999 to June 2004 321 104 504 728 186 
		
	
	Source:
	Workforce jobs

Influenza Deaths

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people aged 65 years or over died of influenza in (a) West Derbyshire, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Patrick McLoughlin, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people aged 65 years or over have died of influenza in (a) West Derbyshire, (b) East Midlands, (c) the UK in each year since 1997. (198366)
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2003. Figures for East Midlands Government Office Region and the United Kingdom are provided in the attached table. There were fewer than five deaths from influenza in each year from 1997 to 2003 in West Derbyshire Parliamentary Constituency and in each of the local authorities in which it is located (Amber Valley and Derbyshire Dales). There were a total of 8 deaths in Amber Valley and 6 deaths in Derbyshire Dales between 1997 and 2003. Figures cannot be provided for individual years or for the parliamentary constituency because of the risk of disclosure.
	
		Deaths from influenza 1 for those aged 65 and over, East Midlands Government Office Region 2 and the United Kingdom,1997 to 2003 3
		
			 Number of deaths East Midlands United Kingdom 
		
		
			 1997 21 413 
			 1998 13 129 
			 1999 60 598 
			 2000 43 630 
			 2001 5 27 
			 2002 * 34 
			 2003 * 64 
		
	
	* = Fewer than five deaths.
	(6) Deaths with an underlying cause of influenza defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 487 for the years 1997 to 2000 and, for the years 2001 to 2003, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J10 and J11.
	(7) Deaths of usual residents of this area.
	(8) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year, except for data for Scotland and Northern Ireland included in the United Kingdom totals. These are deaths registered in each calendar year.

National Lottery

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual tax revenue to the Treasury from the National Lottery has been in each year since 1994.

Stephen Timms: Details of tax revenue from the National Lottery can be obtained from the Betting and Gaming Bulletin, published monthly by HM Customs and Excise, which provides a full historic series of data on the revenues collected from betting, gaming and lottery duties. The Bulletin is available on application to Customs and Excise or online from www.uktradeinfo.com

Unemployment

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have taken place in the numbers of people classified as long-term unemployed in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Farrelly, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (198581)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, the Labour Force Survey sample size is too small to give reliable estimates of long-term unemployment in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Constituency.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for local areas including parliamentary constituencies.
	The attached table gives the annual average number of people resident in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency claiming Jobseeker's Allowance benefits for over 12 months for each year from 1997 to 2003.
	
		JSA claimants resident in the Newcastle-Under-Lyme parliamentary constituency claiming for over 12 months
		
			 Annual averages Claiming over 12 months 
		
		
			 1997 435 
			 1998 165 
			 1999 180 
			 2000 140 
			 2001 120 
			 2002 115 
			 2003 95 
		
	
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Unemployment

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people living in the London borough of Wandsworth were unemployed in each of the last three years; how many were (a) long-term unemployed and (b) youth unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people living in the London Borough of Wandsworth were unemployed in each of the last three years; of these figures how many were (a) long-term unemployed and (b) youth unemployed. (198887)
	Table 1 overleaf provides the information requested for the London Borough of Wandsworth, for the twelve-month periods ending in February each year from 2001 to 2003.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA) for local areas. Table 2 overleaf gives the total number of all ISA claimants resident, the total claiming for over 12 months and claimants aged 18 to 24 years old annual averages in the London Borough of Wandsworth, for each year since 2001 to 2003.
	
		Table 1Unemployment in the London borough of Wandsworth -- Thousand
		
			 12 months ending in February each year Total Long term unemployed 1 Unemployed people aged 1624 
		
		
			 2001 9 3 2 
			 2002 10 2 2 
			 2003 11 2 4 
		
	
	(9) People unemployed for over 12 months
	Note:
	Estimates are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a higher than usual degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution and, in particular, changes from year-to-year should not be used in isolation from the figures from a run of years.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 2JSA claimants resident in the London borough of WandsworthAnnual averages
		
			  All Claimants Claimants over 12 months(10) Claimants aged 1824 years(10) 
		
		
			 2001 5,180 1,175 925 
			 2002 5,685 1,135 1,115 
			 2003 5,650 1,095 1,175 
		
	
	(10) Computerised claims only
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Unemployment

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment in the London borough of Wandsworth has been in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in the London Borough of Wandsworth in each year since 1997.(198190)
	Table 1 overleaf gives estimates of the number of unemployed people resident in the Wandsworth Local Authority area for the 12 month periods ending in February each year from 1997 to 2003.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability. In particular, year to year changes should be treated with great caution.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas. Table 2 overleaf gives the annual average number of people resident in the Wandsworth Local Authority area claiming Jobseeker's Allowance benefits for each year from 1997 to 2003.
	
		Table 1: Unemployment in the London borough of Wandsworth12 months ending in February each year, 19972003 -- Thousand
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 15 
			 1998 10 
			 1999 7 
			 2000 7 
			 2001 9 
			 2002 10 
			 2003 11 
		
	
	Source:
	ONS: Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants in the London borough of Wandsworth, 19972003
		
			  Annual averages 
		
		
			 1997 10,210 
			 1998 7,896 
			 1999 6,524 
			 2000 5,555 
			 2001 5,268 
			 2002 5,795 
			 2003 5,733 
		
	
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Unemployment

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the peak year was for the unemployment rate in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1979; and how many people were unemployed there in that year.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Farrelly, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Parliamentary Constituency. (198534)
	Statistics of unemployment for Newcastle-under-Lyme Parliamentary Constituency extend back only to 1992. However, figures for claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in the constituency, which extend back to 1983 on a consistent basis, show that the highest level was recorded in September 1984, when there were 4,449 claimants. This compares with the most recent figure of 711 claimants in October 2004. Comparisons over this period for JSA claimants expressed as rates are not available.

Average Earnings

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of (a) changes in the level of average earnings of full-time employees in Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) the proportion of national average earnings which these levels represented in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Farrelly, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimates have been made of (a) changes in level of average earnings of full-time employees in Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) the percentage of national average earnings which these levels represent in each year since 1997. (198712)
	Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period, by their place of work. This is the standard definition used for ASHE tables. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I attach a table showing the average gross weekly wage for full time employees in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area for 1998 to 2004. Data for 1997 is not available yet.
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings publication criteria ensures that all estimates are undisclosive. A number of estimates have been removed from the published tables for these reasons.
	
		Average gross weekly earnings for Newcastle-under-Lyme and the United Kingdom
		
			  Median CV% % change Mean CV% % change 
		
		
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 
			 1998 315.3 (11)9.4  352.1 (11)4.3  
			 1999 292.9 (11)6.1 -7.1 334.1 (11)4.2 -5.1 
			 2000 310.3 (11)7.4 5.9 356.3 (11)5.7 6.7 
			 2001 302.9 (11)8.3 -2.4 356.3 (11)5.4 0.0 
			 2002 320.7 (11)8.0 5.9 366.2 (11)4.5 2.8 
			 2003 334.8 (11)7.2 4.4 384.3 (11)4.3 4.9 
			 2004 2 362.5 (11)8.7 8.3 416.3 (11)4.1 8.3 
			 2004 3 363.9 (11)8.7  414.9 (11)4.1  
			
			 United Kingdom 
			 1998 334.9 (11)0.2  392.5 (11)0.3  
			 1999 345.5 (11)0.1 3.2 407.8 (11)0.2 3.9 
			 2000 359.0 (11)0.3 3.9 425.1 (11)0.2 4.2 
			 2001 375.9 (11)0.3 4.7 449.7 (11)0.2 5.8 
			 2002 390.9 (11)0.3 4.0 472.1 (11)0.3 5.0 
			 2003 404.0 (11)0.2 3.3 487.1 (11)0.3 3.2 
			 2004(12) 423.0 (11)0.2 4.7 506.9 (11)0.3 4.1 
			 2004(13) 422.1 (11)0.2  504.9 (11)0.3  
		
	
	
		Newcastle-under-Lyme gross weekly earnings as a percentage of UK gross weekly earnings
		
			  Median Mean 
		
		
			 1998 94.1 89.7 
			 1999 84.8 81.9 
			 2000 86.4 83.8 
			 2001 80.6 79.2 
			 2002 82.0 77.6 
			 2003 82.9 78.9 
			 2004(12) 85.7 82.1 
			 2004(13) 86.2 82.2 
		
	
	(11) Key to quality:
	Precise: CV = 5%
	Reasonably precise: CV  5% and = 10%
	Acceptable: CV  10% and = 20%
	(12) Data for 2004 excluding supplementary surveys for comparison with 2003.
	(13) Data for 2004 including supplementary surveys.
	Note:
	Data for 1997 is currently only available from a different survey, which is discontinuous with the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Data from ASHE will not be available until later 2004 following a quality assurance process.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS.
	The tables provide data on the average gross weekly earnings for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the pay period was unaffected by absence, who worked in Newcastle-under-Lyme and for the United Kingdom, for the years 1998 to 2004.
	Notes:
	(a) The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, (ASHE), carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a 1 per cent. sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	(b) The ASHE replaces the New Earnings Survey (NES) from October 2004. The main difference between the ASHE and NES being that estimates are weighted to population totals from the Labour Force Survey.
	(c) In addition the 2004 ASHE included supplementary information to improve its coverage. This means that the results for the 2004 ASHE are discontinuous with earlier results. However, in order to compare results a second set of results have been given for 2004 that exclude these supplementary information.
	(d) Average gross weekly earnings for Adult Full-Time Employees whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.

Bank Accounts

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population of (a) Hemsworth constituency, (b) the Yorkshire and Humber area and (c) England have no bank account.

Stephen Timms: Estimates from the 200203 Family Resources Survey show that 9 per cent. of households in the Yorkshire and Humber area have no account and 7 per cent. of households in England have no account. There is no data available at constituency level.

Central Government Administration

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues regarding levels of central Government administration.

Paul Boateng: As part of the 2004 Spending Review the Chancellor had discussions with Cabinet colleagues about the scope for releasing resources in their departments to invest in essential, frontline services, including through real terms reductions in administration budgets.

Child Trust Fund

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families he estimates will benefit from the Child Trust Fund in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) the country as a whole when it is introduced.

Stephen Timms: All children born since 1 September 2002 in families awarded child benefit will receive a Child Trust Fund. In 200506 around 700,000 families will benefit from the Child Trust Fund across the country as a whole. No estimate is available of the number of families benefiting in Newcastle-under-Lyme. However, there were around 8,000 new births across Staffordshire in 2002.
	The CTF is intended to encourage parents and children to develop the savings habit. It will ensure that every child, whatever their family background, will have access to a stock of assets from the age of 18, so they can invest in their future.
	It will also help children and their parents to understand the benefits of saving and investment and how to engage with financial institutions.

Children (North Somerset)

Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children between the ages of (i) birth and four years and (ii) five and seven years live in (a) the constituency of Weston-Super-Mare and (b) North Somerset local education authority.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Brian Cotter, dated 17 November 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning how many children live in the constituency of Weston-Super-Mare and North Somerset Local Education Authority between the ages of birth and four years and between five and seven years. I am replying in his absence. (198089)
	In the Weston-Super-Mare Parliamentary Constituency, there were an estimated 5,554 children aged 0 to 4 years old and 3,393 children aged 5 to 7 years old on Census day 29 April 2001. Annual mid-year estimates are not currently estimated for parliamentary constituencies.
	In the North Somerset Local Education Authority there were an estimated 10,300 children aged between 0 and 4 years old and 6,800 children aged 5 to 7 years old in mid 2003.

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment.

Stephen Timms: The available information is as follows:
	1979
	Sections 59 (Restrictions on putting export goods alongside for loading) and 62(2) (Information, documentation etc as to export goods) Customs and Excise Management Act
	1994
	Section 51A (Co-owners etc of buildings and land) Value Added Tax Act
	2000
	Section 104 (Control of business transfers) Financial Services and Markets Act insofar as it relates to banks
	2003
	Section 189 (CHP exemption based on current efficiency) Finance Act
	2004
	Section 4 (Duty stamps for spirits etc) Finance Act
	There are likely to be other legislative provisions passed in the last 30 years that the Chancellor's Departments are responsible for and which remain to be brought into force. However, comprehensive information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In the case of the Inland Revenue, legislative provisions dealing with revenue matters are normally only included in Finance Acts where it is necessary. But, rarely, provisions may be included in anticipation that particular events will happen and until they do the legislation may not yet have come into force.

Consultants

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 October 2004, Official Report, columns 105556W to the Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis).

Earnings

Denzil Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees in the United Kingdom in each of the last five available years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Denzil Davies, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (198170)
	The attached table gives estimates of the number of full-time and part-time employees resident in the United Kingdom for the three months ending in August each year from 2000 to 2004.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		Full-time and part-time employees(14) United KingdomThree months ending in August each year from 2000 to 2004 seasonally adjusted -- Thousand
		
			  Full-time Part-time 
		
		
			 2000 17,912 6,123 
			 2001 18,096 6,096 
			 2002 18,115 6,250 
			 2003 18,058 6,312 
			 2004 18,176 6,384 
		
	
	(14) Full-time and part-time is based on self-classification by survey respondents.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey.

Earnings

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of full-time workers in (a) Scotland, (b) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (c) the United Kingdom have gross hourly earnings (i) including and (ii) excluding overtime below (A) 7.44, (B) 5.59 and (C) 4.50, broken down by (1) male, (2) female and (3) all workers.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Michael Moore, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of full-time workers in (a) Scotland, (b) each of the unitary authority areas in Scotland and (c) the United Kingdom, have gross hourly earnings (i) including and (ii) excluding overtime below (A) 7.44, (B) 5.59 and (C) 4.50, broken down by (1) male, (2) female and (3) all workers . (198284)
	Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period, by their place of work. This is the standard definition used for Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings tables. The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I am placing in the House of Commons Library, tables showing the counts and proportion of full-time workers for the United Kingdom, Scotland and Scottish local authorities earning below the stated hourly pay bands.
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent. sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings publication criteria ensures that all estimates are undisclosive. A number of estimates have been removed from the published tables for these reasons.

Electoral Register

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people living abroad at the last General Election were eligible to vote in the Election; and how many of these voted;
	(2)  how many people between the ages of 18 and 24 years in the United Kingdom are expected to be eligible to vote at the next General Election.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter Len Cook to Mr. Nigel Evans, dated 17 November 2004:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your questions concerning how many people living abroad at the last General Election were eligible to vote in the British General Election and how many of those voted; and how many people between the ages of 18 and 24 years in the United Kingdom are eligible to vote at the next General Election. (198641, 198642)
	There were 11,506 registered overseas electors as at 10 October 2000, the last date that figures were collated before the most recent General Election on 7 June 2001. Details of who voted are not available, consequently we are not able to say what proportion of the overseas electorate voted.
	Data are not available on how many people aged between 18 to 24 will be eligible to vote in the next General Election. Age information for those registered to vote is not recorded, other than information on the number of attainers, that is those that will reach the voting age of 18 within two years. The estimated population aged between 18 and 24 in the United Kingdom as at 30 June 2003 was 5,245,300. However this does not represent the number of people aged 18 to 24 that are eligible to vote for various reasons, including non-registration.

Employment (Rhondda)

Chris Bryant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in each ward of the Rhondda are (a) employed and (b) unemployed.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Chris Bryant, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment and unemployment in each ward of the Rhondda Parliamentary Constituency. (198299)
	The data, from the 2001 Population Census for people aged 16 to 74, are shown in the attached table.
	As the ward level information requested is not available from the Labour Force Survey, information from the Census has been given in the reply.
	The figures have been extracted from table KS09a on the 2001 Census Key Statistics for Output Areas in England and Wales CD, which is available in the House of Commons library.
	
		Employment and unemployment among people aged 1674 resident in wards of the Rhondda parliamentary constituency -- Thousand
		
			  All people Employment Unemployment 
		
		
			 Rhondda; Cynon; Taff/Rhondda; Cynon; Taf 165,822 85,380 5,927 
			 Rhondda parliamentary constituency 50,993 24,125 1,983 
			 Cwm Clydach 2,163 1,031 86 
			 Cymmer 4,185 1,992 185 
			 Ferndale 3,154 1,528 124 
			 Llwyn-y-pia 1,590 722 59 
			 Maerdy 2,483 937 124 
			 Pentre 3,905 1,994 115 
			 Pen-y-graig 4,069 1,935 157 
			 Forth 4,252 2,193 152 
			 Tonypandy 2,498 1,308 92 
			 Trealaw 2,758 1,232 117 
			 Treherbert 4,150 1,786 170 
			 Treorchy 5,656 2,853 206 
			 Tylorstown 3,310 1,333 157 
			 Ynyshir 2,418 1,121 89 
			 Ystrad 4,402 2,160 150 
		
	
	Source:
	2001 Census of Population: April 2001.

Foreign Debt

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries have had 100 per cent. of debt to the UK written off.

Stephen Timms: The UK is committed to provide 100 per cent. debt relief for all 42 HIPCs to support a sustainable exit from debt. This is done by writing off or holding in trust their debts. Under the Enhanced HIPC Initiative, at Completion Point the UK offers 100 per cent. stock relief on all bilateral debt owed by eligible HIPCs. 15 countries have reached Completion Point, receiving a total debt write-off of 989 million from the UK. A further 12 have reached Decision Point and will receive 100 per cent. flow relief until such time as they reach Completion Point.
	The UK's hold-in-trust policy means that any debt service payments received from indebted countries yet to enter the Initiative will be returned to the countries once they reach Decision Point. The UK will not benefit financially from their payments.
	Details of debt forgiveness by the UK through the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) can be found at: http://www.ecgd.gov.uk/index/susdev_home/susdev_debt.htm

Iraq

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's most recent estimate is of the cost of the British occupation of Iraq in each month since the start of the conflict, broken down by (a) military and (b) reconstruction costs.

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much of the 3.8 billion in special reserve to cover the cost of operations in Iraq has been spent to date; when he expects it to be fully expended; what plans he has to increase the sum; for what period he plans to allocate further funds; whether it will be maintained and accounted for under budget heads which will enable the extra costs incurred to be clearly discernible; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the (a) total cost to date and (b) cost in each year since the start of the war to the Exchequer has been of the war and subsequent activity in Iraq, separately identifying costs which would have been expended on other purposes but have been redirected to purposes in connection with Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: In Budget 2003 the Chancellor set aside 3 billion as a Special Reserve to cover the cost of operations in Iraq. 1 billion was drawn down by the Ministry of Defence in the Spring Supplementary Estimate for 200203.
	The remaining 2 billion of this Special Reserve was carried forward to 200304. The Ministry of Defence drew down 1,539 million in the 200304 Winter and Spring Supplementary Estimates.
	In the PBR 2003 the Chancellor announced a further 500 million for the Special Reserve in the financial year 200304 and a further 300 million for 200405 as a prudent allowance to cover Iraq and our continuing international commitment to the war on terrorism.
	At the Madrid Donors' Conference in October 2003, the Government announced a total UK pledge of 544 million towards the reconstruction effort in Iraq up to March 2006.

Job Creation (Stroud)

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs have been created in the Stroud constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Drew, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about jobs created in Stroud. (198499)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in numbers of jobs from year to year.
	The attached table shows the information requested, relating to jobs in Stroud, for 1997 and 2001.
	
		Number of employee jobs 1 with workplace in Stroud parliamentary constituency: 1997 and 2001
		
			 Number of employee jobs Total 
		
		
			 1997 33,700 
			 2001 34,400 
			   
			 Change from 1997 to 2001(16) 700 
		
	
	(15) Excludes self-employed jobs.
	(16) The 1997 to 2001 change has been rounded to the nearest hundred separately from rounded levels for 1997 and 2001.
	Source:
	1997; Annual Employment Survey, rescaled 2001; Annual Business Inquiry (ABI)

Manufacturing

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs have been lost in the manufacturing sector in each component part of the UK in each month since the beginning of 2001.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Adam Price, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about numbers of jobs in the manufacturing sector in each component part of the UK. (198984)
	While statistics of jobs lost are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes, in numbers of jobs.
	The attached table shows quarterly changes in manufacturing jobs, between March 2001 and June 2004, for each country within the UK. Similar figures showing monthly changes are not available.
	
		Change in numbers of manufacturing jobs(17) in the UK, by country: March 2001 to June 2004 -- Not seasonally adjusted (Thousand)
		
			  United Kingdom England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales 
		
		
			 Number of employee jobs  
			 March 2001 3,852 3,255 103 297 197 
			 June 2001 3,802 3,210 102 295 195 
			 September 2001 3,756 3,171 100 292 193 
			 December 2001 3,696 3,121 99 285 191 
			 March 2002 3,644 3,082 98 277 188 
			 June 2002 3,599 3,041 97 275 186 
			 September 2002 3,559 3,006 97 270 186 
			 December 2002 3,510 2,966 96 264 185 
			 March 2003 3,485 2,947 94 260 184 
			 June 2003 3,455 2,921 93 258 183 
			 September 2003 3,435 2,904 92 256 183 
			 December 2003 3,410 2,883 91 256 180 
			 March 2004 3,378 2,859 90 251 178 
			 June 2004 3,362 2,841 89 252 179 
			   
			 Change2: quarter on previous quarter  
			 June 2001 -50 -45 -1 -1 -2 
			 September 2001 -46 -39 -2 -4 -2 
			 December 2001 -60 -50 -1 -7 -3 
			 March 2002 -52 -40 -1 -8 -3 
			 June 2002 -45 -41 0 -2 -2 
			 September 2002 -40 -34 -1 -5 0 
			 December 2002 -48 -40 -1 -6 -1 
			 March 2003 -25 -19 -2 -3 -1 
			 June 2003 -30 -27 -1 -2 -1 
			 September 2003 -20 -17 -1 -2 0 
			 December 2003 -25 -21 -1 0 -3 
			 March 2004 -32 -24 -1 -5 -2 
			 June 2004 -17 -17 -1 1 1 
		
	
	(17) Excludes self-employed jobs.
	(18) The 2001 to 2004 change has been rounded to the nearest thousand separately from rounded levels.
	Source:
	Employee jobs.

National Debt

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the United Kingdom's national debt was (a) in total and (b) per capita in (i) 1996 and (ii) 2003;
	(2)  how much was spent on interest payments for the national debt in (a) 1996 and (b) 2003 (i) in total amount and (ii) per capita.

Stephen Timms: Figures for public sector net debt and central government debt interest payments in current prices are available on the Office for National Statistics website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/tsdtables1.asp?vlnk=fsf
	Table 1.1 A: Public Sector Finances (series RUTN and RUTO) shows figures for public sector net debt in  billion and as a percentage of GDP. Table 1.1C: Central Government (series NMFX) shows debt interest payments in  billions.
	Figures for mid-year population estimates are also available on the Office for National Statistics website: Mid-1996 population estimates are available on http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8588.xls Mid-2003 population estimates are available on http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8548.xls

Income Tax

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax would be raised by introducing a new 50 per cent. tax band for those with incomes over 100,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Comprehensive information on additional full year yield/cost on income tax is available in the Library of the House. The information is based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes and excludes any estimate of behavioural response to the tax change.

Pension Funds (Dividend Taxation)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax has been collected since 1997 from taxation of dividends from UK pension fund holdings.

Stephen Timms: None. Pension funds are exempt from tax and have never been liable to pay tax on the dividends that they receive.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners are paying income tax at (a) the basic rate and (b) the higher rate; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 4 November 2004, Official Report, column 413W.

Private Finance Initiative

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the private finance initiative arrangements in which the Department is engaged; what the total cost of each arrangement is (a) over its lifetime and (b) in each year of its operation; and how the arrangement appears in the Department's public accounts.

Paul Boateng: Office accommodation at 1 Horse Guards Road was refurbished under a PFI scheme by Exchequer Partnership plc. For details of costs, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the former Financial Secretary (Ruth Kelly) on 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 837W.

Road Traffic Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries occurred in the UK as a result of incorrect servicing and repair of motor vehicles in each of the last 30 years.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals had not returned their tax credit renewal forms by the 30 September deadline; and what percentage this is of tax credit renewal forms sent out.

John Healey: holding answer 21 October 2004
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 94648W to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).

Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of families claiming new tax credits that (a) needed to provide details for finalising a 200304 award, and if appropriate renewing a claim for 200405, (b) responded on, or before the 30 September deadline and (c) had awards stopped as a result of not responding by the 30 September deadline.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 94648W.

Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls were made to the child and working tax credit helpline in each month since August 2003; and how many and what percentage of calls (a) were handled within 20 seconds, (b) were handled in more than 20 seconds, (c) reached an engaged tone and (d) were abandoned.

John Healey: The following figures cover the tax credit contact centres in Great Britain.
	
		Table 1Number of calls -- Thousand
		
			  Received 1 Handled within 20 seconds(20) Handled in more than 20 seconds Reaching engaged tone Abandoned 3 
		
		
			 September 2003 1,259 875 321 9 63 
			 October 2003 1.139 983 121 4 35 
			 November 2003 1,158 852 250 11 56 
			 December 2003 902 728 150 9 24 
			 January 2004 1,132 962 145 4 25 
			 February 2004 1,087 1,004 61 5 21 
			 March 2004 1,475 1,406 48 4 22 
			 April 2004 1,869 1,662 162 13 44 
			 May 2004 2,101 1,825 239 5 37 
			 June 2004 2,321 1,956 330 6 34 
			 July 2004 2,149 1,747 362 4 41 
			 August 2004 1,936 1,755 158 4 23 
			 September 2004 2,774 1,897 723 8 153 
		
	
	(19) Where the caller selected an option for the call steering menu and was put on a queue to speak to an adviser.
	(20) Where the caller selected an option from the call steering menu, was put in a queue to speak to an adviser, and spoke to an adviser within 20 seconds of being put in that queue
	(21) Where the caller selected an option from the call steering menu and was put in a queue to speak to an adviser but the call was terminated before the caller spoke to an adviser.
	(22) As these calls did not reach a queue to speak to an adviser, it is not appropriate to express the numbers as a percentage of calls received.
	
		Table 2Percentage of calls received 1
		
			  Handled within 20 seconds 2 Handled in more than 20 seconds Abandoned 3 
		
		
			 September 2003 69 25 5 
			 October 2003 86 11 3 
			 November 2003 74 22 5 
			 December 2003 81 17 3 
			 January 2004 85 13 2 
			 February 2004 92 6 2 
			 March 2004 95 3 1 
			 April 2004 89 9 2 
			 May 2004 87 11 2 
			 June 2004 84 14 1 
			 July 2004 81 17 2 
			 August 2004 91 8 1 
			 September 2004 68 26 6 
		
	
	(23) Where the caller selected an option for the call steering menu and was put in a queue to speak to an adviser.
	(24) Where the caller selected an option from the call steering menu, was put in a queue to speak to an adviser and spoke to an adviser within 20 seconds of being put in that queue.
	(25) Where the caller selected an option from the call steering menu and was put in a queue to speak to an adviser but the call was terminated before the caller spoke to an adviser.

Tax Credits

Anne Picking: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overpayments of working families tax credit have been made; and how many of these payments the Tax Credit Office has admitted liability for.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 94648W to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Yeovil (Mr. Laws)

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long the period was, on average, between a claimant submitting a completed tax credit application form and their (a) being advised of the outcome of their claim and (b) receiving their first payment, in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Inland Revenue aim to decide 55 per cent. of all tax credit claims and change of circumstances in five working days and 95 per cent. in 30 working days.
	The Inland Revenue published its progress against Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets in the Inland Revenue Spring Departmental Report May 2004 which is available on the Internet at http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/about.dept-report04.pdf.
	Payments are made automatically on the first scheduled payment date after a claim is decided.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many cases involving the overpayment of tax credits have been due to errors by the Inland Revenue (a) in 200405 and (b) in total since the start of the scheme.
	(2)  how many people were overpaid tax credits in the most recent year for which awards have been finalised; what proportion of these were due to error by the Inland Revenue; and in what proportion of the cases the Inland Revenue has attempted to recover overpayments.

John Healey: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given by the Paymaster General to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 946948W.

Tax Credits

Chris Bryant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in each ward of the Rhondda claim (a) pension credit and (b) working tax credit.

John Healey: I understand from the Department for Work and Pensions that the numbers of recipients of pension credit at 30 September 2004 were as follows:
	
		
			 Ward Households in receipt of pension credit 
		
		
			 Cwm Clydach 215 
			 Cymmer 455 
			 Ferndale 275 
			 Llwyn-y-pia 185 
			 Maerdy 270 
			 Pentre 375 
			 Pen-y-graig 455 
			 Porth 300 
			 Tonypandy 245 
			 Trealaw 320 
			 Treherbert 490 
			 Treorchy 500 
			 Tylorstown 320 
			 Ynyshir 265 
			 Ystrad 495 
			 Rhondda constituency total 5,180 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are separately rounded to the nearest 5, so the ward figures as shown do not sum to the total.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions.
	Estimates of the number of in-work families in each constituency receiving tax credits are published in Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses. January 2004. This can be found on the Inland Revenue website, at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.
	Estimates for December 2004 will be published on 23 December 2004. Estimates for smaller areas are not currently available.

Unemployment

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the unemployment rate in Newcastle-under-Lyme was in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many unemployed people there have been in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Farrelly, dated 17 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about unemployment in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Parliamentary Constituency since 1997. (198533, 198582)
	Table 1 provides the information requested in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Parliamentary Constituency for the twelve-month periods ending in February each year from 1997 to 2004.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for local areas including parliamentary constituencies. Table 2 gives the annual average number of people resident in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency claiming Jobseeker's Allowance benefits for each year from 1997 to 2003, together with the proportion of the resident working age population this represents.
	
		Table 1: Unemployment Newcastle-under-Lyme 12 months ending February each yeartotal unemployment
		
			  Level (000s) Rate (percentage)(26) 
		
		
			 1997 2 5.7 
			 1998 3 6.2 
			 1999 2 5.5 
			 2000 2 4.8 
			 2001 2 4.2 
			 2002 1 2.2 
			 2003 1 2.2 
		
	
	(26) Unemployed people as percentage of economically active population (i.e. employed plus unemployed).
	Note:
	Estimates are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a higher than usual degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution and, in particular, changes from year to year should not be used in isolation from the figures for a run of years.
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants resident in the Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituencyannual averages
		
			  Level Percentage of population(27) 
		
		
			 1997 1,624 3.0 
			 1998 1,334 2.5 
			 1999 1,359 2.5 
			 2000 1,155 2.2 
			 2001 1,107 2.1 
			 2002 1,088 2.0 
			 2003 960 1.8 
		
	
	(27) Claimant count figures as the percentage of the resident population.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Yasser Arafat

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department will identify whether bank and other accounts held by the late Yasser Arafat in the United Kingdom are holding overseas aid money; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The late Yasser Arafat's banking arrangements are a matter between his executors and his bankers who would be expected to comply with all legal requirements to ensure proper receipt and administration of any public money.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Charging Initiative

Graham Allen: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make it her policy to encourage local Crown Prosecution Service prosecutors to meet local police officers informally to improve the working of the charging initiative.

Harriet Harman: The policy of the charging scheme is early consultation between police officers and duty prosecutors, encouraging a prosecution team approach towards the common goal of bringing offenders to justice.
	Information about local performance and effectiveness is available from the central ACPO/Crown Prosecution service team, and is shared with the local Crown Prosecution Service and police teams. This information is then jointly discussed so that lessons can be learned and issues and training needs identified. This process of constant review enables the local prosecution team to consider together whether changes need to be made to their local systems and arrangements.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Franked Envelopes

Graham Allen: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will take steps to arrange for second class franked parliamentary envelopes in formats other than window envelopes to be made available to hon. Members.

Marion Roe: Second class post-paid envelopes were introduced in 1998, in addition to the first class post-paid envelopes available to Members, following a decision of the Administration Committee. I have asked the Serjeant at Arms to contact the hon. Member on the specific issue of the format of envelopes.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons Library

John Wilkinson: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff were employed in the Library (a) in 1974, (b) in 2000 and (c) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Archy Kirkwood: Numbers of staff employed in the Department of the Library have been as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1979(28) 2,390 
			 2000 (30)200.5 
			 2004 (31)219 
		
	
	(28) No published data is available before this date. The figure is taken from the first Annual Report of the Commission.
	2 Excludes 28 staff in the Vote and Sales Office, which has since transferred to the Department of the Clerk of the House.
	(29) Complement.
	(30) Average full-time equivalent.

Official Report

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  how many hardback copies of the Official Report have been (a) produced and (b) distributed to hon. Members in each year since 1980;
	(2)  how many hardback copies of the Official Report have been returned by hon. Members to the House authorities for disposal in each year since 1980; and what percentage of these have been disposed of by (a) burial in landfill site, (b) incineration and (c) recycling;
	(3)  what the total cost per day is of producing hardback copies of the Official Report, broken down by cost (a) per copy, (b) per hundred, (c) per thousand and (d) in total;
	(4)  where hardback copies of the House of Commons Official Report are produced; what method is used for their transportation from the publisher to the parliamentary estate; and how many deliveries this necessitates per (a) month and (b) year.

Archy Kirkwood: Bound volume text of the Official Report is the corrected text of debates (including Westminster Hall debates), Ministerial Statements and Written Answers produced for record purposes. Each issue now covers three sitting weeks. Hon. Members who have asked to receive them continue to do so for the duration of their membership of the House or until they request that supply should cease.
	Information about production and distribution is not available for the period, or in the form, requested. The following data about production quantities, which include copies produced for sale, have been extracted from the printer's records.
	
		
			 Period Number of copies per issue 
		
		
			 1996 to June 1999 785 
			 July 1999 to October 2000 680 
			 November 2000 to April 2002 650 
			 May 2002 to November 2002 600 
			 December 2002 to present 540 
		
	
	In financial year 200304, 249 copies of each issue were distributed to hon. Members.
	The House of Commons Commission is only responsible for meeting the cost of producing up to 350 bound volume copies for use by hon. Members and House Departments. For the last complete financial year, 200304, the total spent on printing and binding bound volume copies (18 issues) was approximately 895,000. This is equivalent to approximately 50,000 per issue, and 140 per copy. Internal staff and other costs are not associated with individual documents and are not included.
	Bound volume copies of the Official Report are printed at the Parliamentary press in Southwark, case bound by the printer's sub-contractors in Stevenage and returned by road transport to the distributor's warehouse in Nine Elms. Copies are subsequently despatched by Royal Mail or courier to individual recipients except for a small number of copies carried directly to the Parliamentary Estate by the distributor's routine daily delivery van service.
	The House of Commons Commission has no responsibility for disposal of bound volume copies of the Official Report, which belong to hon. Members to whom they have been supplied.

Temporary Secondments

John Wilkinson: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what plans there are for temporary secondments of staff of the House to work in the offices of hon. Members.

Archy Kirkwood: There are no plans for temporary secondments of staff of the House to work in the offices of hon. Members.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his reply of 8 November to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkstone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), Official Report, column 572, if he will list reconstruction programmes in (a) Samarra and (b) Najaf, broken down by (i) type and (ii) amount; how many (A) Iraqi and (B) foreign workers are expected to participate; and what the source of funding will be in each case.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In and around Samarra, the interim Iraqi Government (IIG) is carrying out 75 projects worth $25 million, in the sectors of healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The main activities include: building new primary and secondary schools; rehabilitating hospitals; restoring historical sites and recreational areas; expanding the telephone network; and repairing the water and sewage system.
	United States agencies (the Project and Contracting Office, USAID and military reconstruction teams) report that they have 48 construction projects and three non-construction projects in progress in Samarra worth $8.9 million, broken down by sector into: civil sector (14), education (14), electricity (3), health (4), transport (5), water and sanitation (9), governance (1), and agriculture (1). Plans and activities include reconstructing 43 primary and secondary schools and 11 mosques, improvements to a local veterinary clinic, and the donation of medical books. Most of these projects will generate jobs for local Iraqis. The US reports that a further 51 projects are scheduled to take place over December 2004 and January 2005, totalling $5 million.
	In Najaf, the interim Iraqi Government is undertaking an extensive programme of reconstruction. The Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works has reported that it will spend nearly $650 million on water and sanitation, especially in the old part of the city. Other IIG announcements include plans to spend $55 million on Government buildings in the area, and the Ministry of Telecommunications has signed a contract with a foreign company to build a new communications centre and supply equipment. Plans are also underway to assist hotel owners as the city is visited by thousands of pilgrims monthly and this is central to the local economy.
	United States agencies, working with the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation and other central Ministries, report that they have 171 construction projects and 22 non-construction projects in progress in Najaf, totalling around $30 million. These projects can be broken down by sector into: education (110), electricity (3), health (10), humanitarian assistance (24), governance (23), transport (2), water and sanitation (10), agriculture (2), civil society (15), and economy (4). US funded activities include: the rehabilitation of Najaf main market; sewer and waterline repair; the installation of electrical poles; the purchase of garbage and street cleaning trucks; and the rehabilitation of health clinics.
	It is not possible to list the numbers of foreign and Iraqi contractors participating in these projects, as there is currently no comprehensive database of information available. It is understood that the need for more extensive reporting of projects and contractors will be discussed at a forthcoming IIG/donor coordination meeting.

Afghanistan

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of Afghanistan and (b) the United Nations on the production of heroin in Afghanistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Opium poppy cultivation is s a growing and complex problem in Afghanistan. It is widely expected that the United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime (UNODC) 2004 poppy survey will show a substantial increase in poppy cultivation and opium production from the previous year. Many Afghan farmers are locked into growing opium poppy as the only means of repaying debts, accessing land, earning cash income and providing security for themselves and their families. To promote the availability of alternative livelihoods and rural development in Afghanistan, DFID is supporting a number of initiatives through individual funded projects and support for Afghan Government and United Nations programmes.
	The UK is lead nation on counter-narcotics and we provide significant support to the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy. DFID has lead responsibility for the alternative livelihoods component and plan to increase our commitment from the current level of 5.5 million per year to 20 million in 200506. The support of the international community and strong ownership and lead from the Afghan Government will be crucial to achieving future reductions in opium poppy cultivation.
	DFID continues to participate in discussions with the Government of Afghanistan on the institutional arrangements for implementing the National Drug Control Strategy, including the establishment of a Counter-narcotics Ministry, an accelerated programme to pilot comprehensive development and counter-narcotics law enforcement in key provinces, tackling the opium debt problem and on how to make national development more effective in creating sustainable and attractive alternative livelihood opportunities.
	An example of the key role DFID is playing is the way we are working with the Afghan Government and International donor community to help communities develop their own livelihoods through the Afghan National Solidarity Programme. To date, the programme has provided US$36 million to 3,775 village development projects. In the Yakdharu village in the Badakhshan province, for example, democratically elected development councils agreed to spend the grant provided through the National Solidarity Programme on establishing micro-hydro electric power from the village stream. As a result the villagers now have an asset that provides sustainable electricity to the whole community and a surplus to supply surrounding villages, generating an additional income for the community. The success of this project has encouraged the community to invest their own money into other infrastructure projects and a seed bank using the community development council mechanism. DFID has committed 13 million to the National Solidarity Programme, which is planned to cover all 20,000 villages in Afghanistan by 2007.
	To ensure the Afghan Government can effectively manage development in the province, DFID has provided 20 million funding to the Afghanistan Stabilisation Programme, which is developing links between the central Government and the provinces as well as strengthening the capacity of provincial and district public administration.
	We are in regular contact with the United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime, who are also engaged in discussions on ensuring that counter-narcotics issues are addressed in Afghan Government and donor programmes and provincial piloting. DFID has recently approved an Alternative Agricultural Livelihoods Programme with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) budgeted at 3.8 million over 2.5 years, and we are also in regular dialogue with the FAO on the implementation of this programme. DFID is also in contact with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), all of which have programmes related to alternative livelihoods, for example through labour-intensive public works or private sector development. DFID has regular contacts with the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) on a number of issues, including drug production.

Aid Programmes

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of aid programmes involving the supply of animals and the infrastructure to support them for transport and trading produce purposes in remote areas of the developing world; what support the Department is giving to such programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is currently supporting initiatives in excess of 500,000 to improve the marketing of food crops through appropriate transport for poor farmers in Uganda and Kenya. Local forms of transport that are distributed to farmers' groups include oxen, ox-carts, donkeys, donkey-carts and bicycles.
	In 2002, DFID funded an assessment of local transport solutions for the rural poor that highlighted lessons arising from the World Bank's experience in Sub-Saharan Africa. A key conclusion of the assessment is the need to place greater emphasis on local transport solutions, which have wider benefits for the poor living in remote rural areas, particularly those based on animal traction.
	DFID has continued to fund programmes associated with this study; for example the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development, which promotes improvements in mobility and accessibility for poor people. I have arranged for a copy of the document entitled 'Local Transport Solutions for Rural Development' to be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: None.

Conditional Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's recent discussions with the World Bank on the reassessment of conditional aid to third world countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: At this year's annual meetings in October 2004, the World Bank agreed it would review its policy and practice on lending conditions and report back at next year's annual meetings. The UK also launched its own draft policy paper on aid conditions at the meetings in order to begin a period of consultation with the World Bank and a range of other stakeholders.
	DFID is now in discussion with the World Bank on how best to take its review forward. DFID believes the review should result in a comprehensive policy statement on the Bank's use of conditions, followed by clear guidelines to staff on the implications of the new policy for day-to-day World Bank operations. DFID considers that the review represents a good opportunity to explore challenging issues central to the debate over Bank conditions, particularly in relation to sensitive policy reforms such as privatisation and trade liberalisation.
	DFID and World Bank staff have been exchanging views on the review at a number of levels. The UK is continuing to consult a range of stakeholders regarding its own policy paper on effective partnerships and aid conditions and will finalise this paper in early 2005.

Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much expenditure his Department has incurred in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 to date on employing external consultants; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Expenditure in the last three financial years on all contracted experts including consultants was as follows.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200102 364.100 
			 200203 406.490 
			 200304 414.913

Cte d'Ivoire

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Cte d'Ivoire.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is in close contact with agencies monitoring the humanitarian situation on the ground in Cote d'lvoire. Their current concerns are principally for the security of their staff. DFID will consider any proposals they put to us as the situation develops. During 2004, we have provided 1.55 million in humanitarian assistance.

Departmental Advertising Costs

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of (a) creative work, (b) media spend and (c) administration for his Department's advertising activity has been in each financial year since 199798, broken down by contractor.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: It is not possible to separate the costs of (a) creative work or (b) media spend from overall advertising costs as records are not held centrally. Advertising costs over the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			 Year ended 000 
		
		
			 313-02 910,942 
			 313-03 973,443 
			 313-04 559,295 
		
	
	The cost of administering advertising activity was as follows:
	
		
			 Year ended 000 
		
		
			 313-02 13,400 
			 313-03 13,900 
			 313-04 14,400 
		
	
	The advertising contractor for all three years was Barkers.
	Information prior to 20012 could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.

Renewable Energy

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's budget is spent on providing renewable energy projects in the developing world; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Since 1997, DFID has commissioned and completed about 2.25 million of applied-research on renewable energy, covering all the main renewable energy technologies.
	As was recognised at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), access to affordable and reliable energy services is important to economic growth and social development. In promoting improved access to services, we encourage consideration of the full range of appropriate technologies, including renewable energy.
	As a follow-up to the WSSD, DFID is working with several international networks to promote improved access to energy services, including the Global Village Energy Partnership and the EU Energy Initiative. These networks involve dialogue with developing countries about their energy needs in support of their poverty reduction objectives. Most countries possess a range of indigenous natural resources that may help meet requirements such cooking, heating, lighting and water pumping. Where they are practical and financially feasible, renewable energy resources may have an important role to play.
	In addition, we are participating in an international financing and policy study with the World Bank about increasing the role of renewable energy in meeting the energy needs of developing countries. This is expected to report its findings in March 2005.

Debt Relief

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the increased funding provided to writing off debt in the developing world will affect other projects under his Department's remit.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The increased funding provided to writing off debt will be additional to funding provided for DFID's other projects. The UK Government's recent 2004 Spending Review announced that total UK aid would rise to nearly 6.5 billion a year in 200708, a real terms increase of 140 per cent. since 1997. Part of the increase announced in the 2004 Spending Review was earmarked for the provision of further debt relief.

Land Mine Clearance

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding has been made available to help countries that are affected by landmines to meet their mine clearance obligations under the Ottawa Treaty.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: During the last three complete financial years (200103), in support of our obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty, DFID has provided a total sum of 39.7 million for global humanitarian demining.

Select Committee Recommendations

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many recommendations by parliamentary select committees have been adopted by his Department since June 2001.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Select committee reports are given very careful consideration by the Department's Ministers. Since June 2001 several committees of both Houses have made recommendations on matters for which the Department of International Development is responsible. Select committee reports and their responses are a matter of public record.

Water Facilities

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to co-ordinate his Department's Water Action Plan with the ACP-EU Water Facility.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The preparation of the ACP-EU Water Facility by the European Commission as part of the 9th European Development Fund (EOF) has involved consultation with member states, NGOs and other interested parties. The Department for International Development has been involved in this consultation process and has taken the lead on the Finance Working Group that has raised issues related to the regulations for spending the ACP-EU Water Facility corresponding to the criteria set out in the UK's Water Action Plan. These include ensuring a fundamental focus on the needs of the poor and the sustainability of the programme funded. The first call for proposals can be accessed through www.euwi.net or http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/cqi/frame12.pl and provides detailed information on how such funds are to be spent.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

CAFCASS

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff were employed in each CAFCASS region on 1 April (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003 and (iv) 2004.

Margaret Hodge: CAFCASS was established on 1 April 2001. Before 1 April 2003, CAFCASS collected data on the total numbers of staff, but they were not broken down between full-time and part-time staff or between each region and Wales. The total numbers of staff (full-time and part-time) employed at 1 April 2001 and 1 April 2002 were as follows:
	
		(i) 1 April 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Employed staff in post 1257 
			 Self-employed practitioners 695 
			 Total staff 1952 
		
	
	
		(ii) 1 April 2002
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Employed staff in post 1699 
			 Self-employed practitioners 340 
			 Total staff 2039 
		
	
	The number of full-time and part-time staff employed at 1 April 2003 and 1 April 2004, in the regions and Wales, were as follows:
	
		(iii) 1 April 2003
		
			 Region Status Staff number 
		
		
			 East Midlands Full-time 94 
			  Part-time 42 
			 East Midlands Total  136 
			 Eastern Full-time 72 
			  Part-time 51 
			 Eastern Total  123 
			 Headquarters Full-time 53 
			  Part-time  
			 Headquarters Total  53 
			 Legal Full-time 14 
			  Part-time 1 
			 Legal Total  15 
			 London Full-time 141 
			  Part-time 58 
			 London Total  199 
			 North East Full-time 97 
			  Part-time 23 
			 North East Total  120 
			 North West Full-time 218 
			  Part-time 77 
			 North West Total  295 
			 South East Full-time 102 
			  Part-time 83 
			 South East Total  185 
			 South West Full-time 105 
			 South West Total Part-time 165 
			 Wales Full-time 108 
			  Part-time 38 
			 Wales Total  146 
			 West Midlands Full-time 139 
			  Part-time 65 
			 West Midlands Total  204 
			 Yorks and Humberside Full-time 163 
			  Part-time 80 
			 Yorks and Humberside Total  243 
			 Total staff  1884 
		
	
	
		(iv) 1 April 2004
		
			 Region Status Staff number 
		
		
			 East Midlands Full-time 102 
			  Part-time 33 
			 East Midlands Total  135 
			 Eastern Full-time 70 
			  Part-time 45 
			 Eastern Total  115 
			 Headquarters Full-time 61 
			  Part-time 5 
			 Headquarters Total Full-time 66 
			 Legal  23 
			 Legal Total  23 
			 London Full-time 147 
			  Part-time 56 
			 London Total  203 
			 North East Full-time 103 
			  Part-time 32 
			 North East Total  135 
			 North West Full-time 222 
			  Part-time 77 
			 North West Total  299 
			 South East Full-time 104 
			  Part-time 78 
			 South East Total  182 
			 South West Full-time 106 
			  Part-time 52 
			 South West Total  158 
			 Wales Full-time 103 
			  Part-time 35 
			 Wales Total  138 
			 West Midlands Full-time 136 
			  Part-time 68 
			 West Midlands Total  204 
			 Yorks and Humberside Full-time 183 
			  Part-time 77 
			 Yorks and Humberside Total  260 
			 Total staff  1918 
		
	
	In addition, there were 441 self-employed CAFCASS practitioners on 1 April 2004. This figure cannot be broken down by region and Wales.
	Note:
	The discrepancy between the total figures given here (1884 and 1918) and those quoted in the CAFCASS 200304 Annual Report (1879 and 1932) is because CAFCASS subsequently undertook a data cleansing exercise of its management information systems and redefined the criteria used for employed staff. Furthermore, CAFCASS had included Board members and agency staff in its historical data.

CAFCASS

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff skilled in mediation are employed by CAFCASS.

Margaret Hodge: CAFCASS does not collect information that identifies which of its practitioners are skilled in mediation. However, CAFCASS practitioners are skilled and qualified social workers, and many of them will have undertaken further training in dispute resolution and conflict resolution. CAFCASS is aware that some of its practitioners will have undertaken specific training in order to become accredited mediators.
	In addition, CAFCASS refers families who might benefit from mediation services to an accredited mediation scheme.
	CAFCASS practitioners also receive appropriate training to enable them to undertake dispute resolution work. Dispute resolution is one of the training modules that CAFCASS has commissioned for its practitioners from Royal Holloway College.

Education Provision (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of public funding per pupil in the Easington constituency was in the last seven years.

David Miliband: The information is produced according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Easington is a district of Durham Local Education Authority. The following table shows total funding per pupil aged 3 to 19 in Durham since 199798 in real terms.
	
		Durham Local Education Authority
		
			   per pupil 
		
		
			 199798 2,730 
			 199899 2,810 
			 19992000 2,950 
			 200001 3,210 
			 200102 3,410 
			 200203 3,470 
			 200304 3,590 
			 200405 3,710 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Price base: Real terms at 200304 prices GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004.
	2. The 200405 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	3. Figures include formula funding and grants within the DfES Departmental Expenditure Limit.
	4. They exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level, and also exclude the pensions transfer to EPS and LSC in 200304 and 200405.
	5. The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	6. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Education Provision (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the Easington constituency was in each of the last five years.

David Miliband: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools 1: average size of classes taught by one teacher 2January 2004Easington parliamentary constituency 3
		
			  Primary Secondary 
			  Number of pupils Number of classes Average class size Number of pupils Number of classes Average class size 
		
		
			 2000 7,720 290 26.9 4,710 200 23.6 
			 2001 7,660 290 26.8 4,610 200 23.0 
			 2002 6,940 270 26.2 4,560 200 22.5 
			 2003 6,940 270 25.3 4,720 220 21.5 
			 2004 6,790 270 25.6 4,710 200 23.1 
		
	
	(31) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(32) Classes as taught during one selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.
	(33) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Education Finance (Staffordshire)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on changes to the level of funding for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Staffordshire and (ii) Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

David Miliband: The information requested is produced according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Newcastle-under-Lyme is a district of Staffordshire Local Education Authority. The following table shows how the level of funding in Staffordshire, on a per pupil basis, has increased since 199798 in primary and secondary schools.
	
		Total funding per primary and secondary pupil aged 310 and 1115 in real terms in 199798 and 200405 for Staffordshire
		
			  Funding per pupil aged 3 to 10 Funding per pupil aged 11 to 15 
		
		
			 199798 2,120 2,960 
			 200405 2,990 3,740 
			 Monetary increase from 199798 to 200405 870 780 
			 Percentage increase from 199798 to 200405 41% 26% 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Price Base: Real terms at 200304 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004.
	2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education SSA/EFS settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC.
	3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 310 and 1115 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	4. The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	6. Status: 200405 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	7. 199798 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.

Education Finance (Staffordshire)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the total funding for schools has changed in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

David Miliband: The information requested is produced according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Newcastle-under-Lyme is a district of Staffordshire local education authority. Total funding for all pupils aged 319 in Staffordshire was 338.4 million in 199798 and 459.0 million in 200405 in real termsan increase of 36 per cent. This includes funding via Education Formula Spending/Standard Spending Assessment and Grants, and excludes the pensions transfer to EPS and the Learning and Skills Council. Total funding per pupil aged 319 for schools in Staffordshire has increased from 2,600 in 199798 to 3,410 in 200405, an increase of 31 per cent. in real terms.
	Notes:
	Price Base: Real terms at 200304 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004.
	Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education SSA/EFS settlements and exclude the pensions transfers to EFS and LSC made in 200304 and 200405.
	Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million or 10 for per pupil figures.
	Status: 200405 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	199798 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post

Education Finance (Selby)

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding per head for secondary school pupils in the Selby constituency (a) was in 1997 and (b) is in 2004.

David Miliband: The information requested is produced according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. The Selby constituency includes parts of both York and North Yorkshire local education authorities. The following table sets out the figures.
	
		
			  199798() 200405() Percentage increase from 199798 to 200405 
		
		
			 York 3,020 3,850 27 
			 North Yorkshire 3,050 3,820 25 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Price Base: Real terms at 200304 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004
	2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education SSA/EFS settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC.
	3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 1115 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	4. The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to 10 per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations.
	5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	6. Status: 200405 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	7. 199798 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.

Class Sizes (Wandsworth)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the class sizes are in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the London borough of Wandsworth; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools (34) average size of classes taught by one teacher (35)
		
			 January 2004 
			 Wandsworth local education authority(36) Number of pupils Number of classes Average class size 
		
		
			 Primary 14,770 570 25.9 
			 Secondary 9,280 420 22.1 
		
	
	(34) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(35) Classes as taught during one selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.
	(36) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Computers

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the computer to pupil ratio in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools was in Greater London in 1997.

David Miliband: The information is not available in the form requested.
	Figures for England, which were derived from a sample of schools, are shown in the table. Figures at sub-national level are not available as the sample was not large enough to provide reliable estimates.
	
		Average number of pupils(37) per computer (used solely or mainly for teaching and learning purposes) by type of school
		
			 England 
			 Year end March Maintained primary Maintained secondary 
		
		
			 1997 n/a n/a 
			 1998 17.6 8.7 
			 2004(38) 7.5 4.9 
		
	
	(37) Full-time equivalent numbers of pupils
	(38) Provisional data.
	n/a = not available
	Note:
	Figures for 1997 are not available as the survey was biennial until 1998.
	The latest information on ICT in schools was published in the Statistical First Release Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2004, which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Family Law Cases

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in how many of the family law cases in which it was unclear, at the time of the Association of Directors of Social Services survey in July, whether there was serious disagreement between medical practitioners as to the causes of harm to children, it is now clear that such disagreement is present.

Margaret Hodge: We do not have this information, in the form that is requested. However I am confident that the courts and local social services will have regard to the recent court judgments in their consideration of cases. Where courts have made recent determinations in cases, these will have reflected the advice given to civil courts in the family Appeal Court cases of Re LB and Re LU, following the judgment in the criminal Appeal Court case of R. v. Cannings , on how to approach the evidence given by medical expert witnesses in family proceedings.
	I would like also to draw my hon. and learned Friend's attention to my reply to her question 194996, and to the completion of the second stage survey of the review of children's cases, who were already the subject of a care or related order. The results of this further survey, carried out by the Association of Directors of Social Services, have been placed in the Library.

Integrated Children's System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the relationship will be between the proposed Integrated Children's System and the databases proposed in the Children Bill.

Margaret Hodge: The Integrated Children's System (ICS) will be quite different from the information database(s). The ICS is a national framework for Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (CSSRs) to support their work with children in need and their families. It provides a single approach for assessment, planning, intervention and reviewing based on an understanding of children's developmental needs in the context of their families and communities. It is designed to improve outcomes for children in need. The information gathered in the course of working with children and their families is recorded by social services. These records have traditionally been paper-based although a growing number of councils have electronic record keeping systems in place. As part of implementing the Integrated Children's System, social service records will all be kept electronically, replacing paper-based systems. This will provide a more effective way of keeping and accessing records relating to social services work with children and families than exists at present.
	The information database(s) provided for by the Children Bill will not contain detailed case information such as this. The information sharing databases will be broader in their coverage than the ICS (they will cover all children in England, whereas the Integrated Children's System will record information about the 4 per cent. of children in need known to social services at any one time), but narrower in terms of the information they will hold about the child. They will contain basic information about all children and the contact details of practitioners working with them across the board. This will be a valuable tool in aiding a wide range of practitioners in working together to meet children's needs.
	There is no explicit relationship between the IT system which supports the use of the Integrated Children's System and the information databases. The IT system for the Integrated Children's System is designed to hold information about children in need and their families, who are in receipt of services from social services. It is, therefore, a specialist system for holding case based data.

Integrated Children's System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provisions are being made to allow children who would not be on the Child Protection Register to be placed on the Integrated Children's System.

Margaret Hodge: By December 2005, information on all children referred to local authorities with social services responsibilities as potential children in need, regardless of whether their names are on the child protection register, will be being recorded on the IT system which supports use of the Integrated Children's System.

Integrated Children's System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  which children will be listed on the Integrated Children's Register;
	(2)  when the Integrated Children's System will be implemented.

Margaret Hodge: By December 2005, information on all children referred to local authorities with social services responsibilities will be being recorded on the IT system which supports use of the Integrated Children's System.
	The Integrated Children's System (ICS) will be quite different from the information database(s). The ICS is a framework for Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (CSSRs) to help in their work with children in need and their families. It provides a single approach for assessment, planning, intervention and reviewing based on an understanding of children's developmental needs in the context of their families and communities. It is designed to improve outcomes for children in need. The information gathered in the course of working with children and their families must be recorded by social services. These records have traditionally been paper-based although a growing number of councils have electronic record keeping systems in place. As part of implementing the integrated children's system, social service records will all be kept electronically, replacing paper-based systems. The ICS is simply a better way to maintain and meet existing record keeping requirements and, therefore, requires no legislative provision.
	The ICS will provide a more effective way of keeping and accessing records relating to social services work with children and families than exists at present. This will help improve standards of service to children and families.
	The information database(s) provided for by the Children Bill will not contain detailed case information such as this. The information sharing databases will be broader in their coverage than the ICS (they will cover all children in England, whereas the ICS will record information about the 4 per cent. of children in need known to social services at any one time), but narrower in terms of the information they will hold about the child. They will contain basic information about all children and the contact details of practitioners working with them across the board. This will be a new and valuable tool in aiding a wide range of practitioners in working together to meet children's needs.
	There is no explicit relationship between the IT system which supports the use of the ICS and the information databases. The IT system which CSSRs purchase for the ICS are designed to hold information about children in need and their families, who are in receipt of services from social services. It is, therefore, a specialist system for holding case based data.

Integrated Children's System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what ways the Integrated Children's Register is different from the Child Protection Register.

Margaret Hodge: A child protection register is a central register which is maintained for each area covered by a social services department. The register should list all the children resident in the area (including those who have been placed there by another local authority or agency) who are considered to be at continuing risk of significant harm, and for whom there is a child protection plan.
	Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999) sets out that the principal purpose of the register is to make agencies and professionals aware of those children who are judged to be at continuing risk of significant harm and in need of active safeguarding. Agencies and professionals who have concerns about a child are able to make inquiries of the register. It is essential, therefore, that both police and health professionals have access to the register through the custodian of the register both in and outside office hours.
	The Integrated Children's System provides a single approach to undertaking the key processes of assessment, planning, intervention and review based on an understanding of children's developmental needs in the context of their families and communities. The Integrated Children's System is for use by social services, in collaboration with other agencies with responsibility for children in need under the Children Act 1989.
	The Government explained, in Keeping Children Safe (2003), its response to the Victoria Climbi report that we will phase out the child protection register as the ICS is introduced. The ICS will hold all the necessary information about the child, including whether any child protection inquires under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 have ever been undertaken about the child, whether they are considered to be in ongoing need of protection, and whether they have a child protection plan. As a result, the child protection register will become unnecessary.

Integrated Children's System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the purpose is of the Integrated Children's System.

Margaret Hodge: The Integrated Children's System is intended to improve outcomes for children in need. The ICS is a national framework for Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (CSSRs) to support their work with children in need and their families that provides a single approach for assessment, planning, intervention and reviewing based on an understanding of children's developmental needs in the context of their families and communities. The information gathered in the course of working with children and their families is recorded by social services. These records have traditionally been paper-based although a growing number of councils have electronic record keeping systems in place. As part of implementing the integrated children's system, social service records will all be kept electronically, replacing paper-based systems. The ability to record, retrieve and analyse information contained within electronic social services records will enable better assessments and more effective interventions for children in need than exists at present. It will also ensure consistent and comprehensive case records kept on individual children.

Education Funding (Manchester)

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent per pupil in Manchester, Withington in each of the last seven years.

David Miliband: The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas, rather than districts within an LEA. The figures provided are for Manchester LEA and are shown in the following table:
	
		Combined LEA and school based expenditure1,2 per pupil 3 (199697 to 200203)4,5
		
			  Combined LEA and school based expenditure per pupil in Manchester LEA () 
		
		
			 199697 2,850 
			 199798 2,810 
			 199899 3,020 
			 19992000 3,090 
			 200001 3,360 
			 200102 3,840 
			 200203 3,820 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The combined LEA and school based expenditure includes all expenditure on the education of children in LEA maintained establishments and pupils educated by the LEA other than in maintained establishments. This includes both school based expenditure and all elements of central LEA expenditure except youth and community and capital expenditure from revenue (CERA).
	2. 19992000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 200203 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources is shown by the dotted line. In 200203 the combined LEA and school based expenditure is calculated by Section 52 Outturn Table A line 51 net current expenditure (NCE) plus line 60 NCE (with adjustments to income to take account of School Standards Grant and Standards Fund scored here) plus lines 61 to 74 NCE. For 200102 and earlier years the expenditure is calculated as line 27 NCE after recharges for columns (b) to (f) and (h) plus line 15 from the remaining continuing education columns (g, i and j). This is taken from Section 52 Outturn Table 3 for 19992000 to 200102 and from the RO1 form previously.
	3. Pupil figures include all pre-primary pupils, including those under 5s funded by the LEA and being educated in private settings, pupils educated in maintained mainstream schools and other LEA maintained pupils. The pupil data for pupils attending maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools are taken from the DfES Annual Schools Census. Private voluntary and independent (PVI) under 5 pupil numbers are taken from the Early Years census but are only included for 19992000 onwards. Other LEA maintained pupils are also included in the pupil count and this includes all pupils attending schools not maintained by the Authority for whom the Authority is paying full tuition fees, or educated otherwise than in schools and pupil referral units under arrangements made by the Authority drawn from the Form 8b submitted to the DfES. Also included as other LEA maintained pupils are all pupils attending pupil referral units who are not registered at a maintained mainstream school drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census. All pupil numbers are adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	4. Spending in 199798 reflects the transfer of moneys from local government to central government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 199899. The 19992000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance.
	5. In 200203 the combined LEA and school based unit cost for England showed a cash terms increase of 5 per cent. compared with a 10 per cent. increase in 200102. This is in part due to known misreporting of funding by some LEAs which had the estimated effect of reducing the 200203 England unit cost by around 50 per pupil (in cash terms). Manchester was one of the LEAs who had suspected funding in their income column and consequently it is likely that the true figure for 200203 will be higher than the 3,820 quoted here.
	6. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	7. Data are a reported in cash terms as submitted by the LEA on their section 52 statement.

Schools (Hendon)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Hendon (a) had outside toilets, (b) did not have computer suites and (c) did not have interactive whiteboards (i) at 1 May 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The only available information relates to interactive whiteboards and is shown in the table.
	
		Percentage of schools with electronic interactive whiteboards in EnglandPosition at 31 March each year
		
			  2002 2003 (39)2004 
		
		
			 Maintained primary schools 28 48 63 
			 Maintained secondary schools 65 82 92 
			 Maintained special schools 35 53 71 
		
	
	(39) Provisional.
	Source:
	ICT in Schools Survey
	The increased numbers of schools with interactive whiteboards demonstrate the priority that schools are giving to this technology, which research shows can improve the pace of lessons and increase pupil motivation.
	The latest information on information and communications technology in schools was published in Statistical First Release 27/2004 Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2004, which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	My Department does not keep records of the numbers of outside toilets in schools. However, the Department ran a capital programme bidding round under New Deal for Schools to remove outdoor toilets and improve energy management over two years, 199899 and 19992000, at a cost of about 70 million. The programme replaced a large proportion of the outside toilets in England. It is our understanding that the majority of outside toilets in English schools were replaced by indoor provision as a result of this bidding round.

DEFENCE

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what condolences he has offered to the surviving family members of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of military action taken by British forces in Iraq since 19 March 2003; what estimate has been made of the number of orphans created by civilian adults killed by British forces in Iraq; and what economic assistance has been offered by the United Kingdom to Iraqi families who have suffered the (a) loss of their main income earner and (b) long-term disablement of the main income earner as a result of United Kingdom military action in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: There are no reliable or comprehensive figures for civilian fatalities. United Kingdom forces report all confirmed fatalities of which they are aware arising from incidents in which they are involved. During military engagements in Iraq however, civilian casualties are often taken away before British forces can determine numbers or identities.
	Iraqi civilians alleging negligence against the Ministry of Defence may submit a compensation claim to the Department's Area Claims Officer based at Basra. When such claims are submitted, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the Ministry of Defence has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation, we do so. Any amount payable is determined case by case, taking into account the specific circumstances of the injured party.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 10 November 2004, Official Report, column 716W, on Iraq, what criteria were used to determine which of the 3,000 pages of supporting documents were of potential weapons of mass destruction significance.

Geoff Hoon: A team of translators and a team of weapons of mass destruction experts worked alongside each other full-time to translate the Iraqi Declaration. Each page was reviewed by a translator and a WMD expert working together. Any page containing words or phrases that might have had relevance to WMD programmes was translated for comprehensive analysis.

Iraq

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the number of civilian casualties in Iraq since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no figures for Iraqi civilian casualties that are wholly reliable and cover the whole period since military action began. The Iraqi Ministry of Health has been collating figures from hospital admissions since April 2004, which show that just under 4,000 civilians have been killed in the last six months. We regard this figure as the most reliable available.

Iraq

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to monitor civilian casualties in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Iraqi Ministry of Health began collating figures from hospital admissions in April 2004. These figures show that just under 4,000 civilians have been killed in the last six months.

Iraq

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the armed forces first sought authority from the Defence Crisis Management Organisation to initiate mobilisation measures for deployment to Iraq;
	(2)  when the armed forces first sought authority to initiate training for reservists for deployment to Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 16 November 2004
	Authority to mobilise reserves and commence preparatory training for deployment to Iraq was formally sought on 2 January and granted by Ministers on 7 January 2003 once it became appropriate to do so in order to further military preparations.

Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from which (a) companies and (b) organisations the Ministry of Defence has requested (i) information and (ii) co-operation with regard to investigations relating to the enforcement of anti-bribery legislation since 2000.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 15 July 2004
	This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Contractors

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place for reviewing contracts with a sole supplier for fabric and garments; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: All clothing contracts placed by the Ministry of Defence are continually reviewed to ensure contractors' delivery and quality performance is satisfactory.

Contractors

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what criteria his Department's recent tender process for the provision of cloth, fabric and garments was decided; for what reason past experience of contracting with his Department was eliminated as a criteria from the tender process; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Under EU public procurement regulations we may only consider factors directly relevant to the nature of the items or services to be supplied in order to apply the principles of most economically advantageous tender.
	The published award criteria in accordance with the public procurement regulations were technical compliance, cost of acquisition, soft issues (to determine partnering capability), and delivery.
	Contractors' past performance was included in the pre-contract award evaluation process.

Contractors

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK-based companies contracted by his Department to provide garments and clothing in the last 10 years whose primary source of contractual work is with his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Records are not maintained of companies whose primary source of contractual work has been with the Ministry of Defence in the last 10 years. It is estimated that the number is small and mainly in niche areas of the clothing range, particularly ceremonial items. The MOD encourages its contractors to have a diverse customer base to preclude dependency on one source of business.

Fishery Protection Squadron

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the HQ role of the Fishery Protection Squadron is; and what plans he has to change this role.

Adam Ingram: The HQ role of the Fishery Protection Squadron is the provision of clear guidance, leadership, support and direction to units under its authority.
	There are currently no plans to change the role of the Fishery Protection Squadron.

HMCS Chicoutimi

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's contribution will be to the investigation by the Defence Committee of the Canadian House of Commons into HMCS Chicoutimi.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has been asked for some background information to be used to inform the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs of the Canadian Parliament with respect to a study on the Acquisition of Submarines for the Canadian Forces. We understand the Committee's inquiry continues and no further requests for assistance have been received.

Naval Navigational Aids

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's expenditure on naval navigational aids was in each of the last 10 years for (a) Northern Ireland, (b) England and Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) each military port in the UK.

Adam Ingram: The future provision of Marine Services is the subject of a PPP/PFI acquisition programme. Work relating to the provision of naval navigation aids forms part of the range of services, which is included in the invitation to negotiate. To divulge details of current expenditure could prejudice the fairness of the competition, and the potential for gaining best value for money, by giving industry the advantage of knowing part of the current the Ministry of Defence costs. It would also disadvantage the current in-house provider, the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service, who are also competing for this part of the future work. I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 7 (effective management and operations of the public service) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

RAF St. Mawgan

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) individuals and (b) organisations from Cornwall relating to the continuing use of RAF St. Mawgan for civilian aviation use.

Adam Ingram: Ministry of Defence officials have written to Cornwall county council and will be meeting local authority officers shortly. I have also agreed that officials should brief the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler). I would be happy for them to brief my hon. Friend.

Submarines

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department made of the level of maintenance required for Upholder Class submarines to maintain their seaworthiness prior to their sale to the Canadian Government; what recommendations were made to increase spending to maintain seaworthiness; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: After the Upholder Class submarines were taken out of Royal Navy service, the vessels were maintained to a standard to ensure that reactivation remained a cost-effective option. Following the agreement with the Canadian Government, on the lease to buy of the submarines, the Ministry of Defence identified the scope of the work required to meet the acceptance standards of the Royal Navy and made provision to fund a contract with BAE Systems for this work, including additional maintenance, to be undertaken.

Submarines

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of employing the US General Dynamics Electric Boat Division to assist with the construction of the Astute class submarines; and what the reasons were for their involvement in the construction process.

Adam Ingram: General Dynamics Electric Boat is employed on the Astute programme to bring proven expertise notably from its current Virginia Class attack submarine programme. The United States Department of Defense has facilitated this via a Government to Government Foreign Military Sale. Electric Boat support takes the form of specialist draughtsman support and management assistance to BAE Systems at Barrow. This assistance is ongoing and the Foreign Military Sale allows for up to $98 million on this facility. This assistance is aimed at reducing risk and ensuring good value for the taxpayer.

HMS Grafton

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimates were received for the refit of HMS Grafton prior to the decision to decommission her.

Adam Ingram: No estimates were sought or received for the next refit of HMS Grafton, which was due in mid 2006 and would have been the subject of competition nearer the time.

Territorial Army

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether Territorial Army soldiers deployed to Iraq were required to achieve a skilled grade in their weapon test;
	(2)  how many Territorial Army soldiers deployed in Iraq since March 2003 have accidentally discharged weapons;
	(3)  whether his Department has received notifications of concern from military units deployed in Iraq about inadequate training in personal weapons by members of the Territorial Army who had been passed as average by the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre;
	(4)  how many Territorial Army soldiers deployed to Iraq since March 2003 arrived with notes cautioning the receiving unit that they were a high safety risk due to having been passed as average by the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre;
	(5)  whether his Department has been notified of concerns by the staff at the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre about the deployment of reservists to Iraq since March 2003 who had been graded average in their weapons test;
	(6)  what measures his Department is taking to rectify the failures in training for reservists identified at the court martial of Lance Corporal Ian Blaymire;
	(7)  who within his Department was responsible for the failures identified at the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre in the trial of Lance Corporal Ian Blaymire;
	(8)  if he will make a statement on the allegation by Mr. Paul Camp, Assistant Judge Advocate, that the Army had lied in an attempt to prevent the exposure of the very poor training and very poor leadership to which reservists who had been sent to Iraq received.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 November 2004
	A clear policy on the standards required of reservists before deployment on operations was and is in place. This policy directs that all Territorial Army (TA) soldiers deployed on operations to Iraq are required to achieve an overall skilled pass in their Individual Training Directive (ITD1(A))weapons handling test (WHT) for their personal weapon prior to their deployment. ITD1(A) comprises seven components. Component 1 is the safety assessment and is marked at pass or fail. The other components relate primarily to skill at arms and can be assessed as skilled, average or fail.
	Analysis of our records has so far established that three individuals who have failed the safety test have deployed to Iraq, but none was equipped with a weapon. All three were employed in a field hospital: one a surgeon; one a chef; and one a medical technician.
	Evidence given at the recent court martial of Lance Corporal Blaymire suggests that during the mobilisation for earlier deployments to Iraq a decision was taken at the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre (RTMC) that for two elements of the ITD(A) (loading a magazine and wind tablesneither of which is related to safety) performance at average would be sufficient for the then operational requirement. While this did not accord strictly with the stated standards required, this decision reflected professional military judgment at the time.
	Since 4 October 2004 RTMC has directed that stated policy be followed. We are identifying those deployed in Iraq who passed the two modules at average and will judge the need, if any, for additional in-theatre training. I am assured that, at no time, has safety been compromised. This is borne out by our Operation Telic Lessons Identified records which contain no comments from operational commanders about safety deficiency with regard to personal weapon handling among deployed TA personnel.
	The media have reported a number of allegations in relation to the evidence given at the court martial. We take all these allegations seriously and when we have received the transcript of the court's proceedings we will examine the evidence in detail. In the meantime, we have set up a Learning Account and an Army Board of Inquiry has been convened. We shall be as open as possible in making the findings of both public.
	Information on the number of TA soldiers who have negligently discharged their weapon is not held centrally. Neither are we able to differentiate between regular and reservist personnel once deployed on operations. I shall in due course provide details of the number of cases where disciplinary action has been taken as a result of a Royal Military Police investigation into such incidents.
	Since the start of operations in Iraq we have mobilised over 9,000 Army Reservists who have performed with distinction and great professionalism. As reported by the House of Commons Defence Committee, the vast majority of demobilising reservists who responded to a questionnaire in September 2003 believed that they had been either very well or well prepared for their deployment.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Equal Pay

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women what representations she has received from women's organisations on equal pay for equal work.

Patricia Hewitt: I host regular meetings with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Women's Committee, at which the subject of equal pay is discussed. Recently, I announced the funding by the Government of the Equal Pay Panel of Experts, developed by the TUC, which will give free advice/guidance sessions to organisations looking to investigate or undertake an equal pay review in partnership with unions
	We are working with the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Opportunity Now, trade unions and employers to meet our target of 45 per cent. of organisations having conducted equal pay reviews by 2008. Recently, I announced the Government's Plan to tackle occupational segregation, which grew out of the EOC's timely investigation into occupational segregation, one of the causes of the gender pay gap

WALES

Departmental IT

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level.

Don Touhig: There is minimal use of Open Source Software (OSS) within the Wales Office.
	There are no immediate plans to increase usage of OSS in the Wales Office at present.
	Our future use of open source software will follow the Government's open source software policy published on 28 October 2004. The draft policy document is available to view at www.govtalk.gov.uk

Departmental Staff

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the staff in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 were people with disabilities.

Don Touhig: The figures are as follows:
	(a) 5 per cent.
	(b) 4 per cent.

Health Services

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly regarding the delivery of health services in rural areas in Wales.

Don Touhig: The National Assembly has responsibility for managing the National Health Service across Wales. At a local level, Local Health Boards (LHBs) are responsible for commissioning health services based on the needs of the people who live in their area, including rural communities. Powys LHB has the largest rural area and also provides community services to its population.
	I regularly meet the National Assembly's Health Minister to discuss the provision of healthcare in Wales, including services provided in rural areas.

Mobile Phones

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many mobile phones were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1997; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; and what their cost was.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office was established from 1 July 1999, and information before April 2000 would only be available at disproportionate cost.
	The Wales Office provided:
	4 mobile phones for Ministers and Special Advisers and 11 for officials in 200001;
	4 mobile phones for Ministers and Special Advisers and 13 for officials in 200102;
	4 mobile phones for Ministers and Special Advisers and 14 for officials in 200203
	4 mobile phones for Ministers and Special Advisers and 15 for officials in 200304
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer previously given to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 323W. The total cost of providing mobile phones in 200304 was 7,259. This includes the costs of rental and calls. Records indicate that only one handset was reported lost and there was no cost.

Quangos

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with his Welsh Assembly colleagues on the role of quangos in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Assembly Ministers on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including the work of the various assembly sponsored public bodies.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Archaeologists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many professional archaeologists are employed (a) directly in her Department and (b) in agencies for which her Department is responsible.

Richard Caborn: The Department does not directly employ any archaeologists. Our statutory advisers on archaeological matters are English Heritage, and they employ a total of 306 archaeologists.

Free TV Licences

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Newcastle-under-Lyme receive a free television licence.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The information on the numbers of households in receipt of free TV licences is not available by constituency. The number of households with at least one resident aged 75 or over in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency in each year since 200203 is in the table. Each of these households would therefore be eligible for a free TV licence. Household information relating to earlier years is not available.
	
		
			  Households with someone aged 75 or over 
		
		
			 200203 5,565 
			 200304 5,640 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Winter fuel payment data 200203 and 200304.
	3. Any residence found to have four or more occupants aged 60 and over is not included in the household figures as it is assumed to be RCNH (Residential Care/Nursing Home).
	4. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Free TV Licences

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households are in receipt of a free television licence in the Wansbeck constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The information on the numbers of households in receipt of free television licences is not available by constituency. The number of households with at least one resident aged 75 or over in the Wansbeck constituency is 5,265. Each of these households would therefore be eligible for a free TV licence.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Winter fuel payment data 200304.
	3. Any residence found to have four or more occupants aged 60 and over is not included in the household figures as it is assumed to be RCNH (Residential Care/Nursing Home).
	4. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Lottery Funding

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the contribution of the National Lottery to reducing poverty in deprived areas of the UK.

Estelle Morris: Since its launch in November 1994 the National Lottery has raised more than 16 billion for the good causes, with over 180,000 projects benefiting from awards across the UK. Although it can be difficult to determine precisely the extent of their contribution to reducing poverty, a significant number of Lottery-funded projects have helped to regenerate inner cities, create employment and strengthen communities.
	This is supported by the conclusions of an independent report commissioned by Camelot and published in November 2004 by the Henley Centre. It concluded that there was consistent and clear evidence of improved economic and/or social outcomes; and that the vast majority of awards are inclusive in their effort. Henley Centre comments that this trend has become marked since 1998, when Lottery distributing bodies were required to address more strongly social and regional projects.

Sri Guru Granth Sahab ji

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) direction and (b) advice she has given to (i) libraries and (ii) the British Library, about the treatment of Sri Guru Granth Sahab ji.

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend Secretary of State has not given any direction or advice to public libraries and the British Library about the treatment of the Sri Guru Granth Sahab ji. Public libraries and the British Library operate independently from Government and are responsible for seeking advice on the treatment of their manuscripts from appropriate sources.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Service Sports Council

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the relationship of the Civil Service Sports Council is to the UK Civil Service.

Ruth Kelly: The Civil Service Sports Council Limited is a company registered under the Industrial and Provident Society Acts. It is owned by its members who pay a membership subscription. Membership is open to employees in Civil Service Departments or Agencies, Royal Mail, British Telecommunications and other public bodies such as museums, research councils or companies carrying out ex-civil service work.
	CSSC Ltd. receives an annual grant from the Cabinet Office to encourage and co-ordinate the pursuit of all forms of sport and recreation throughout the Civil Service.
	The range of activities organised by CSSC can be seen on their website at www.cssc.co.uk. Most activities are run by volunteers.

Contingency plans

Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what advice has been issued regarding stockpiling provisions in the case of an enforced quarantine following a terrorist attack.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	We advise that people are prepared for emergencies including making sure they have some provisions available in case of power loss or if services were disruptedwhatever the cause.
	This advice can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism/
	We do not advise stockpiling provisions. If people did need to be kept away from others because they had an infectious disease, or had not been decontaminated they would have to be cared for and supplied with provisions as necessary.

Copyright

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the reproduction of items which are copyright of HMSO by political parties;
	(2)  what permissions have been granted to political parties by (a) the Controller of HMSO, (b) the Queen's Printer for Scotland and (c) for Crown copyright material to be reproduced, since 1997;
	(3)  what guidance has been issued to the Government Information Service about the reproduction of Central Office of Information material by political parties; and if she will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The responsibility for the management of Crown copyright material produced by Government Departments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO). The Queen's Printer for Scotland is an office holder within the Scottish Administration and so is not answerable to the UK Parliament. The Controller of HMSO is not responsible for copyrights owned by the Stationery Office Limited or any other private sector company.
	Most Crown copyright material can be re-used under an on-line licence known as the Click-Use Licence. Under the Click-Use Licence holders may re-use a range of core Government information without needing to obtain specific permission for each item. Details of licence holders, including political parties that hold licences, can be found on HMSOnline at: http://www.click-use.hmso.gov.uk/online/pLogin.asp.
	The terms of the Click-Use Licence, which can also be viewed on HMSOnline at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/copyright/licences/core/c_terms.htm, sets out the conditions of re-use. Political parties are treated in the same way as any other re-user.

External Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how much his office has spent on external consultants to deal with press and media affairs since he took office; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to his Answer of 11 November 2004, Official Report, column 855W, on consultants, how much his office has spent on external consultants excluding press and media since he took office.

Alan Milburn: I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) to the hon. Member on 11 November 2004, Official Report, column 855W.

IT costs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on information technology in his office in this financial year.

Alan Milburn: The costs of appointing a separate Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will be met from the existing Cabinet Office budget, and will be accounted for in the 200405 Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts, which will include the spend on information technology for my office.

Ministerial Press Releases

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many press releases he has issued in his ministerial capacity since he took office.

Alan Milburn: I have issued one press release, dated 10 November 2004, since my appointment.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the meetings with (a) individuals and (b) organisations external to the Government that he has attended in his official capacity as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since his appointment to the post, broken down by (i) date and (ii) subject of the meeting.

Alan Milburn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2004, Official Report, column 720W to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) and on 9 November 2004, Official Report, column 620W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell),

Strategy Unit

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the Strategy Unit's progress with the Countries at Risk of Instability project.

Alan Milburn: The Strategy Unit's Countries at Risk of Instability programme was launched in January 2004. Work on the project is still continuing.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Armenian Genocide

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is towards the (a) scale of, (b) responsibility for and (c) recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Denis MacShane: The Government understands the strength of feeling about this terrible episode of history. The massacres of 191516 were condemned in explicit terms by the British Government of the day. We fully endorse that view. Historians disagree as to whether the Armenian massacres constitute genocide as defined by the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide.

Armenian Genocide

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether recognition of the Armenian genocide is one of the political criteria that Turkey will be required to meet before EU accession.

Denis MacShane: No.

Burma

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what criteria were applied for a state-owned enterprise's inclusion in Annex II of the Council Common Position on Burma 2004/730/CFSP and Annex IV of Council Regulation (EC) 798/2004, as inserted by Article 1(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004;
	(2)  for what reason Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise was excluded from Annex II of the Council Common Position on Burma 2004/730/CFSP and Annex IV of Council Regulation (EC) 798/2004, as inserted by Article 1(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004.

Jack Straw: The UK worked hard to get the strongest possible measures in the EU Common Position on Burma with the aim of highlighting the role of the military in continuing human rights abuses and political stalemate in Burma, while targeting the measures to minimise that impact on the poor.
	The EU therefore chose to target the two military owned companies. Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. (UMEHL) and the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), their subsidiaries and joint ventures. UMEHL and MEC have sought in recent years to monopolise foreign investment. The profits directly benefit the military.
	Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise is not a military owned company.
	The decision amending the EU Common Position was made by unanimity.

China

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on the subject of discrimination against religious minorities, with particular reference to Christians.

Bill Rammell: I raised the ratification of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights with the Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui during my visit to China in July. We have made clear that harassment of religious groups is unacceptable and not in keeping with the provisions of the International Covenant.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials raised several concerns about religious freedom in China with Wang Zuo'an, Deputy Director General for the State Administration for Religious Affairs, during the latter's visit to the UK in September.
	We also discuss human rights issues in depth during our biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue.

China

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese authorities on their policy of repatriating North Korean refugees; and if he will urge them to admit the UNHCR to the border area between the two countries.

Bill Rammell: I personally raised this issue with Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui during my visit to China in July.
	We also raise the issue of North Korean asylum seekers in China during our biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, the last round of which was held in May. We continue to urge the Chinese to observe their obligations under the 1951 convention and allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees access to the China/North Korea border region.

China

John Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Foreign Ministers of other European Union countries for the maintaining of the EU's embargo on the sale of armaments to the People's Republic of China.

Bill Rammell: The Government supports the decision of the European Council in December 2003 to review the EU Arms Embargo on China. This review is on-goingit was last discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at the 11 October General Affairs and External Relations Council. The Government does not wish to exclude any options for the review, nor to pre-empt the conclusion of the review.
	The Government continues to implement the Arms Embargo as set out by the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the late Derek Fatchett, in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 24041.

Correspondence

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to correspondence from the hon. Member for Hull, North regarding Mr. Ken Bigley.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean replied on 5 November 2004.

Cte d'Ivoire

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent progress in delivering peace and political stability in Cte d'Ivoire.

Chris Mullin: The situation in Cte d'Ivoire remains volatile and the immediate future is uncertain.
	We remain convinced that a political solution remains the best way forward for the country. We therefore welcome the efforts of the African Union to bring about a political settlement at the Abuja summit of 14 November. We also welcome the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council 1572 on 15 November, which, among other things, urges all sides including President Gbagbo to begin implementing immediately all the commitments they have made.

Dr. Amer Al-Saddi

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received in respect of the detention of Dr. Amer Al-Saddi, the former scientific adviser to the Iraqi Government, by the United States; and whether he has asked his United States counterpart why former Iraqi officials held in detention by the United States have not been charged or released.

Bill Rammell: I cannot provide details on individuals held by the United States. Dr. Amer Al-Saddi's case will be reviewed by the Detainee Review Committee in the same way as all other cases.

Equatorial Guinea

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what contingency plans were drawn up by his Department (a) unilaterally, (b) with other Government departments and (c) with other foreign countries, for the evacuation of British nationals and others from Equatorial Guinea immediately prior to the attempted coup earlier this year;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2004, Official Report, column 631W, when his Department informed the authorities in Equatorial Guinea of the alleged coup plot;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2004, Official Report, column 631W, what information on the attempted coup plot was made available to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: In late January 2004 reports of a coup plot were circulating in the media. The first media report of which officials were aware was in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo on 30 January. At the same time similar allegations were contained in confidential information received by the Government. In accordance with exemption 1(c) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, we do not provide details of confidential diplomatic exchanges.
	We were sceptical about the reports, as there had been a number of coup rumours in the media previously, including October 2003. In so far as we could, given the sources of our report, we attempted to establish whether there was any more truth to this particular allegation. We took action to try to establish whether any UK companies were involved and to underline our opposition to involvement by any UK company in such activities. As we were not able to establish any definitive evidence which could add significantly to the reports which had already appeared in the media we took no further action with other African governments. But we did review and update our civil contingency plan.
	It has been the consistent policy of Her Majesty's Government never to condone or to support the actions of those who seek to overthrow sovereign governments by military coup or any other undemocratic means.

EU (Applicant States)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his Department's policy that all applicant countries for EU membership should recognise all existing member states.

Denis MacShane: Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union provides that any European state which respects the EU's fundamental principles can apply for membership. The European Council set out the criteria for membership at its meeting in Copenhagen in 1993. Of these, the political criteria must be met before starting negotiations. There is no requirement on applicant countries which relates to recognition, but it is inconceivable that an applicant country could become an EU member state without normal diplomatic relations with other EU member states.

European Court of Justice

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the procedure is for resolution of disputes regarding EU association agreements; and what the role of the European Court of Justice is.

Denis MacShane: Disputes regarding association agreements may arise in several ways. Disputes between the EC and its member states on the one hand and the other party or parties to the agreement on the other will typically be addressed within the institutional framework established by the agreement. This will usually include an Association Council and a Committee of Ministers.
	Disputes among the EC member states or between them and the Commission will usually be addressed within the Council at working group level, at the Permanent Representatives Council (COREPER) or if necessary in the Council itself.
	The European Court of Justice may have jurisdiction in relation to a dispute concerning an association agreement. This will depend on the nature of the dispute and the parties involved. In the past the Court has, for example, often been asked to interpret provisions of association agreements under the procedure in Article 234 TEC (Treaty establishing the European Community). Article 234 TEC states that The Court of Justice shall have jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings concerning:
	(a) the interpretation of this Treaty;
	(b) the validity and interpretation of acts of the institutions of the Community and of the European Central Bank;
	(c) the interpretation of the statutes of bodies established by an act of the Council, where those statutes so provide.
	Where such a question is raised by any court or tribunal of a member state, that court or tribunal may. if it considers that a question is necessary to enable it to give judgement, request the Court of Justice to give a ruling thereon.

Georgia

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Georgia.

Bill Rammell: Since he came to power following elections in January 2004, President Saakashvili has put priority on reform, the fight against corruption and the re-establishment of Georgian authority over all of Georgia's regions. We have welcomed the reform measures so far undertaken, and maintain a bilateral assistance programme in support of further reform. We aim to spend 15 million over the next three years, mainly focused on poverty reduction, governance and capacity building.
	The situation in Georgia's two separatist regions is tense. Relative calm has been restored in South Ossetia since the crisis over the summer, but there are still regular occurrences of sniping. In Abkhazia, a stand-off persists between the two main candidates for the 'presidential' elections held on 3 October, with the losing candidate refusing to accept the judgment of the Abkhaz Supreme Court. With supporters of both candidates taking to the streets the situation is threatening to turn violent.
	Through our membership of the Friends of the United Nations Secretary General, the OSCE and the work of the UK's Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Sir Brian Fall, we are active in urging all involved parties to work co-operatively and prudently towards resolution of the issues. In this context we have consistently made clear our concern that the territorial integrity of Georgia should be respected.

Indonesia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to propose that the UN review the Act of Free Choice in West Papua; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The UK has no plans to make such a proposal. In November 1969 the UN General Assembly discussed the report of the special representative who oversaw the implementation of the Act of Free Choice. A resolution was adopted to take note of the report and the fulfilment of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General under the 1962 Dutch/Indonesian agreement. 84 member states voted in favour, none against and 30 abstained. Any re-evaluation of the status of Papua is a matter to be resolved peacefully between the Indonesian Government and the people of Papua.
	The British Government, together with other members of the international community, stress to the Indonesian authorities the need to fully implement the 2001 Special Autonomy law for Papua. This law allows for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee to look at the incorporation of Papua into Indonesia in the 1960s.

Indonesia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Indonesia concerning their treatment of the people of West Papua; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Together with our European partners, we regularly raise our concerns about the situation in Papua. On 28 October EU ministerial representatives visited Indonesia and met with the newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hasan Wirayuda. Both expressed their belief that the full implementation of special autonomy would help resolve the problems in Papua. In his inaugural speech on 20 October, President Yudhoyono identified the resolution of the problems in Papua as one of his key concerns.

Iran

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Iranian Government regarding the arrest of Ms Mahboobeh Abbasgholizadeh on 1 November.

Bill Rammell: Official Iranian media have recently reported the arrest of several journalists and NGO staff, including Ms Mahboobeh Abbasgholizadeh. We have serious concerns about the increasing harassment of journalists and NGO staff in Iran. With our full support, the EU Presidency intends to raise the issue with the Iranian authorities soon.

Iran

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provisions for verification are contained in the draft agreement between the Governments of the USA, France, Germany and the United Kingdom with the Government of Iran.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 16 November 2004
	The agreement between the Governments of France, Germany and the UK, with the support of the High Representative of the European Union, on the one hand, and the Government of Iran, on the other, was published on 15 November. It commits Iran to suspend work on the enrichment of uranium and on the reprocessing of nuclear fuel; to meet all its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to allow full and unrestricted access by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to its nuclear facilities in accordance with its nuclear safeguards agreement with the Agency. This latter requirement will enable independent verification of the extent of Iran's nuclear activities.
	The Government of the United States is not a party to the agreement.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date his Department (a) completed its analysis of Iraq's declaration to the United Nations of December 2002 and (b) communicated to the UN its view that there were omissions in the declaration; what omissions were indicated; whether such omissions are considered to be the case now; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The analysis of the text of the Iraqi declaration was completed on 21 December 2002 and our observations on the declaration were passed to the United Nations at that time. The declaration was compared against previous declarations made by Iraq, and against the outstanding disarmament questions raised by the final report of UNSCOM, produced in 1999. Any discrepancies uncovered in this process were indicated to the United Nations. The Government continues to believe that there were omissions in the Iraqi declaration, and this has been borne out by reports from UNMOVIC at the time of the resumption of inspections in 200203 and, subsequently by the Iraq Survey Group.

Iraq

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the new Iraqi constitution.

Bill Rammell: According to the Transitional Administrative Law, the Transitional National Assembly, which will be elected in January next year, shall write a draft of the permanent constitution by no later than 15 August 2005. UN Security Council Resolution 1546 envisages a leading role for the UN in promoting national discussion and consensus building on the drafts of the constitution. The draft shall be presented to the Iraqi people for approval in a general referendum to be held no later than 15 October 2005. The general referendum will be successful and the draft constitution ratified if a majority of the voters in Iraq approve and if two-thirds of the voters in three or more governorates do not reject it.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask the US authorities in Iraq to provide immediate assistance to the International Committee of the Red Cross to enable it to have full and free access to Falluja.

Bill Rammell: The Iraqi Interim Government are in the lead in improving the humanitarian situation in Fallujah. We understand that the Iraq Ministry of Health, supported by the Multi-National Force, is currently doing all it can to facilitate Red Cross and Red Crescent assistance to Falluja and the surrounding areas.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 20 October 2004, Official Report, column 756W, on the Iraq Survey Group, if he will list the source references for the material now made public to which the Prime Minister referred on 28 January 2004, Official Report, column 304, as unpublished pending the Iraq Survey Group report.

Denis MacShane: All the relevant information was submitted either to the Iraq Survey Group or to the Butler review or, in some cases, to both. Their respective reports published as much information as it was possible to do without prejudice to national security.

Iraq

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the interim Government of Iraq about attacks on Iraqi Christians and their places of worship; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: British officials in Iraq regularly meet with members of the Christian communities. We have raised concerns about attacks by extremists on Iraqi Christians and their places of worship with the Iraqi authorities, who, I should stress, share our concerns and remain committed to the protection of minorities as set out in the Transitional Administrative Law. Our missions in Iraq will continue to monitor the situation and make representations as appropriate.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2004, Official Report, column 520W, on Iraq, on the basis of what criteria the Government decided whether to share the intelligence on the claim that Iraq sought to procure uranium from Africa with the (a) Iraq Survey Group and (b) Butler Committee.

Jack Straw: All relevant material was passed to the Butler review. In the case of the Iraq Survey Group, the normal rule applied which requires that information received from allied intelligence and security agencies cannot be disseminated further without the consent of the originator.

Ivory Coast

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between the Government and (a) France and (b) the UN, regarding hostilities within Ivory Coast between northern rebels and government forces.

Chris Mullin: We have been in constant contact with both the French and the UN about the situation in the Ivory Coast.
	On 15 November the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1572. This condemns the Government of Cte d'Ivoire's air-strikes; reiterates support for French and UN action on the ground; emphasises the need for a political solution; and imposes an arms embargo on Cte d'Ivoire with immediate effect. It also agrees to impose a travel ban and assets freeze on those blocking the peace process in Cte d'Ivoire should there have been no progress on implementing the Accra III Peace Agreement by 15 December.

Jamaica

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to assist Jamaica in fighting gun and drug culture, with particular reference to (a) funding and (b) counter narcotics and weapons expertise; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We continue to support Jamaica's efforts to counter drugs and crime problems.
	Included in our assistance is support worth around 3.6 million for the Caribbean Security Sector in 200304. Of this, at least 850,000 was spent on projects in Jamaica tackling gun and drugs crime.
	We are working closely with the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) on targeting individuals trying to smuggle drugs through airports. We are funding courses to train the JCF in using firearms safely and properly, and providing assistance in investigating high profile crimes. The Department for International Development is assisting in the reform and modernisation of the JCF. Our police officers in the UK are working closely with the Jamaicans while dealing with drugs and crime problems in the UK, and supporting their new anti-crime operation Kingfish. We have conducted joint operations with the Jamaican Defence Force and other international parties, and a number of Royal Navy and Auxiliary fleet ships have been in the region supporting the efforts being made on maritime interdiction.

Legal Base (EU)

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is in respect of choice of legal base for EU measures; whether preference is given to bases requiring unanimity rather than qualified majority voting; and at what point in the decision-making process it is the policy of the UK to refer disputes over legal base and voting method to the European Court of Justice.

Denis MacShane: The legal basis of a proposed measure is not a question of member state preference. It has to be determined by an analysis of the aim and content of the measure in question in the light of the provisions of the EC Treaty establishing the Community's power to act in the relevant area. The point at which the Government would consider referring a dispute about the legal basis of a measure to the ECJ similarly is determined by the relevant provisions of the Treaty, in particular. Article 230 TEC and the Statute and rules of Procedure of the Court.

Libya

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has raised the case of Mr. Fathi al Jehmi and his treatment by the Libyan Government with the Libyan Government.

Bill Rammell: The Government are aware of the case of Fathi al Jehmi and is monitoring developments. The Government continue to have and to raise concerns about Libya's human rights record, including restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, the treatment of political prisoners, arbitrary detention and on conditions in Libyan prisons.
	The Government welcomed Amnesty International's visit to Libya in Februarythe first since 1988and their report Time to Make Human Rights a Reality. The report included the case of Fathi al Jehmi. The Government have been speaking to the Libyan authorities about this report and will continue to look for ways in which we can work with the Libyan authorities to improve the human rights situation there. This has included a number of visits to the United Kingdom by Libyan human rights groups, and a Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded project to work with the Libyan authorities to improve the management of their prisons.

Macedonia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to recognise the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as The Republic of Macedonia in international fora.

Denis MacShane: The Government uses the constitutional name Republic of Macedonia in bilateral relations. Along with the majority of our partners and allies, we use the designation 'the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' in certain international fora.

Somalia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking in conjunction with the international community to foster political stability in Somalia.

Chris Mullin: The UK is fully committed to the establishment of a Transitional Federal Government for Somalia which represents an important opportunity to build political stability. We are supporting this process politically, working with other international partners, and providing financial assistance bilaterally and through the EU.

Student Visas

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons student visas issued to overseas nationals coming to the UK do not cover the full length of their courses.

Chris Mullin: Overseas students who have been issued entry clearance to the United Kingdom to pursue a course of longer than twelve months are issued with a visa for the full duration of their course. If the course finishes in summer they are granted leave to enter until 31 October in the year in which they complete their course. For courses that do not follow the standard autumn to summer pattern an additional two months leave is added to the end of the course date. Postgraduate students are given four months beyond the end of their course irrespective of when it finishes. This allows postgraduate students the necessary time to make any corrections or redrafts to their thesis.

Sudan

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the progress of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development talks in Sudan.

Chris Mullin: At the latest round of the IGAD-led talks on the comprehensive peace agreement, which took place in Kenya from 730 October, steady progress was made, including on permanent ceasefire arrangements and implementation modalities for the agreement. These talks are due to resume at the technical level on 26 November, and the principals, First Vice President Taha and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Chairman Garang, will reconvene on 11 December to address any remaining political issues. We continue to press both the Government of Sudan and the SPLM to fulfil their commitment to conclude the talks by the end of the year.

Sudan

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government have provided to the African Union troops in the Darfur region of Sudan, in terms of (a) funding, (b) equipment, (c) training and (d) transportation logistics.

Chris Mullin: In May the UK contributed 2 million to help jump-start the African Union (AU) mission in Darfur. In August we helped fund the airlift of 150 Nigerian troops into Darfur, and, through the British Peace Support Team in Kenya, we provided logistics advice for the 150 Rwandan troops that joined the mission. We have also donated rations packs and maps, and provided technical planning expertise for the AU, as well as seconding a British monitor to the mission.
	As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in Addis Ababa on 7 October, we will also play our part in supporting the expansion of the AU force. We have set aside a further 12 million for this purpose. We are working hard to ensure that the extra troops can be deployed quickly, including by providing vehicles. We have informed the AU that we will consider requests for additional support as required, including training.

China

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart about the imprisonment of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche.

Bill Rammell: We and our EU partners have raised in a series of demarches with the Chinese authorities our serious concerns about the way in which the trial of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche was conducted and the lack of transparency. The most recent EU demarche took place on 4 February 2004. I raised the case bilaterally with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in December 2003.
	I raised general Tibet issues with Assistant Foreign Minister Li Hui during my visit to China in October. We raised the case most recently during the UK China Human Rights Dialogue in May, when FCO officials asked for confirmation that the authorities would not carry out the death sentence. We also expressed concern at the judicial process and requested a re-trial. This case has also been included on our list of individual cases of concern for the November 2004 UK China Human Rights Dialogue round.

UK Detainees (United States)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens detained by the United States authorities in each of the last five years have subsequently been released from custody.

Chris Mullin: We have kept records of the number of British nationals detained and subsequently released (including those detained for short periods without charge) by the US authorities since 2002. The relevant statistics are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002 (40)948 
			 2003 1364 
			 2004 (41)1044 
		
	
	(40) Excludes last quarter of the year for which figures are not available.
	(41) Up to 30 June.
	In addition, five British nationals who were detained by the US authorities at Guantanamo Bay were released in March 2004.

UN Reform

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on reforming the UN with particular reference to processes for dealing with international terrorism.

Denis MacShane: The Government at all levels, including my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, frequently discusses the international effort to combat terrorism with the UN and other member states. At present there are numerous initiatives under way at the UN, including the Secretary General's High Level Panel, the follow up to Security Council Resolutions 1535 and 1566 and negotiations on resolutions and conventions in the General Assembly.

British Indian Ocean Territory

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial arrangement exists with the United States with regard to its presence on (a) Diego Garcia and (b) other parts of the British Indian Ocean Territory; and when each arrangement is due to expire.

Bill Rammell: There is no lease of Diego Garcia or any other part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) to the United States, and they make no payment in respect of their presence there. Under the initial agreement of December 1966 between the UK and the US on the use of BIOT, the whole territory is to remain available for the defence needs of the two countries for an initial period of 50 years from 1966, and thereafter for a further period of 20 years unless either party has given prior notice to terminate it. A further agreement concluded in 1976, which has been supplemented by various other agreements, regulates the establishment and functioning of a United States Defence Facility in Diego Garcia and related matters.

Visa Costs

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the charge in pounds sterling is for a visitor's visa to the UK in (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka and (d) Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: Our visa fees are set on a worldwide basis and are the same irrespective of the country in which an application is made. Our standard visit visa is valid for multiple entries for a six-month period. The fee is currently set at 36 payable in local currency. Longer visit visas are available allowing multiple entries providing no one visit exceeds a six-month duration. One, two, five and 10 year visit visa fees are 60, 70, 88 and 150 respectively.
	Visa fees are set at a level to ensure that the full cost of providing the entry clearance service worldwide is met from fee income and that the UK taxpayer does not have to meet any of the costs. Visa fees are non-refundable. This information is on the UKvisas website www.ukvisas.gov.uk. Further information on the fees in local currency for the countries in question can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website www.fco.gov.uk.

Western Sahara

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the extension of the UN Mission for the Referendum on Western Sahara (MINURSO) plan for the Western Sahara until 30 April 2005; and what support the British Government are giving to MINURSO.

Bill Rammell: The UK supported UN Security Council resolution 1570 adopted on 28 October, which extended the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2005. By doing so, we reaffirmed our commitment to assist the parties in achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the dispute, that provides for the self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara. The UK contributed over 1.5 million to MINURSO in 200304, and expects to contribute over 1.4 million in 200405.

Western Sahara

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Saharwi activists on their appeal to the UN to enforce Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, with reference to fulfilling UN resolutions on Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with Saharan activists on their appeal to the UN to enforce Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials met representatives of the Polisario Front in London in September 2004, when UN enforcement of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter in relation to the Western Sahara dispute was discussed.
	UK policy is to support UN efforts to resolve the conflict in the Western Sahara and we urge all parties to work towards a mutually acceptable solution that provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination.

Western Sahara

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the political situation in Western Sahara since June.

Bill Rammell: United Nations Security Council resolution 1570, which was adopted unanimously on 28 October 2004, extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2005. The resolution calls upon the parties and States of the region to continue to co-operate fully with the United Nations (UN) to end the current impasse and to achieve progress towards a political solution.
	The Government continues to seek a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara dispute that provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination. The Government believes UN efforts to find a solution to the dispute should be maintained.

Zimbabwe

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between the Government and Botswana regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: We remain in regular contact with Botswana and other countries in the region, about Zimbabwe, through our diplomatic missions and high-level visits.
	I discussed the matter with President Mogae during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in December 2003.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows:
	1985
	Administration of Justice Act, sections 34 (in part) and 67 (in part); Schedules 7 (in part) and 8 (in part)
	Representation of the People Act. Schedules 1 (in part) and 5 (in part)
	1990
	Contracts (Applicable Law) Act, sections 2 (in part) and 3 (in part) Courts and Legal Services Act, sections 13, 36 to 39, 41 to 52, 53 (in part), 54, 55, 63 (in part), 70 (in part), 81, 104 to 107 and 125 (in part); Schedules 6 to 9, 13, 17 (in part), 18 (in part) and 20 (in part)
	1995
	Civil Evidence Act, sections 10 and 16 (in part)
	1996
	Family Law Act, sections 2 to 15, 18 to 21, 23 to 25, 60, 64, 66 (in part); Schedules 1 to 3, 8 (in part), 9 (in part) and 10 (in part) 1998
	Data Protection Act, section 56 (in part)
	Statute Law (Repeals) Act, section 1 (in part); Schedule 1 (in part)
	1999
	Access to Justice Act, sections 28, 77, 80 and 106 (in part);
	Schedule 15 (in part)
	2000
	Freedom of Information Act, sections 1, 2, 9 (in part), 10 (in part), 11, 12 (in part), 13 (in part), 14 to 17, 19 (in part), 21 to 44, 48 (in part), 50 to 66, 67 (in part), 68, 69 (in part), 70, 71, 73 (in part), 77, 86 (in part), Schedules 3 (in part), 4 (in part), 5 (in part), 6 (in part) and 8 (in part) Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act sections 6 (in part), 14 (in part), 16 (in part) and 17; Schedules 3, 21 (in part) and 22 (in part)
	2002
	Adoption and Children Act, sections 112 to 114
	2003
	Courts Act, sections 1 to 3, 5 to 41, 43 to 61, 65, 66 (in part), 75, 76, 79, 80, 85, 88 to 92, 98 (in part), 100, 101, 105 and 109 (in part), Schedules 3, 4, 8 (in part), 9 (in part), 10 (in part)
	2004
	Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act, section 26

Community Legal Services

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of calls received by Community Legal Services in the last period for which figures are available were attributable to each of the areas of advice covered by the service.

David Lammy: Since the launch of Community Legal Service Direct advisers have answered calls in the following proportions:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Debt 53 
			 Welfare Benefits 24 
			 Education 13 
			 Employment 4 
			 Housing 4 
		
	
	The remaining 2 per cent. of calls went to lines which take in more than one category of law, and so it is not possible to determine which category each call concerned.
	Debt, Education and Welfare Benefits law advice is available across England and Wales. Housing and Employment advice is available only in selected regions at present.

Community Legal Services

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many advisers work for Community Legal Service Direct.

David Lammy: As at 11 November 2004, the total number of full-time equivalent advisers working for Community Legal Service Direct was 53.

Community Legal Services

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many callers have been eligible for legal aid and have received free telephone advice since the launch of Community Legal Services Direct in July.

David Lammy: For the period 1 July 2004 to 30 September 2004, 4,972 cases have been reported by Community Legal Service Direct advice contractors. Of these, 1,325 (27 per cent.) were matters for clients who passed an eligibility test for legal aid, whilst 489 (10 per cent.) were for clients shown to be ineligible.
	Any caller to Community Legal Service Direct can receive up to 30 minutes of advice and/or help finding an alternative source of advice.
	The majority of matters reported so far have been cases in which the eligibility of the client was not tested (3,159 or 63 per cent.) because the problem could be dealt within the 30 minute time frame.

Community Legal Services

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many calls have been handled by telephone advisers since the launch of Community Legal Services Direct in July.

David Lammy: As at 11 November 2004, the total number of calls answered by Community Legal Service Direct specialist advisers since the service was launched on 14 July was 15,142.

Compensation Culture

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the evidential basis is for his statement on 10 November that there is a compensation culture in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The contents of the Government's statement reflected the evidence presented in the Better Regulation Task Force report Better Routes to Redress, and the report's key finding that, despite widespread perceptions, it is a myth that society has suddenly become far more litigious and that claims for compensation are spiralling out of control. But the report also recognised that it is a damaging myth and it needs to be tackled. The Government's statement sets out how we intend to tackle it.

Departmental Advertising Costs

Charles Hendry: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost of (a) creative work, (b) media spend and (c) administration for his Department's advertising activity has been in each financial year since 199798, broken down by contractor.

David Lammy: The Department for Constitutional Affairs was created in June 2003. Since its inception, my Department has conducted two advertising campaigns:
	(i) poster advertising on buses to promote the recruitment of magistrates;
	(ii) radio and press and ambient-media advertising targeting court fine defaulters (code-named Operation Payback 1 and 2)
	Total spending on these campaigns was 966,000.
	The creative and administration costs incurred by advertising agencies cannot be itemised separately as agencies do not charge separately for this work.
	Similarly, my Department cannot separately identify its own administrative costs associated with advertising, as departmental administrative staff do not work exclusively on such campaigns. 
	
		Department for Constitutional Affairs advertising spend, 200304 to 200405
		
			  Campaign Contractor Spend  
		
		
			 200304 Magistrates recruitment Viacom Outdoor 342,000 
			  Fine defaulters Barkers 230,000 
			 200405 Magistrates recruitment Viacom Outdoor 102,000 
			  Fine defaulters Barkers 292,000 
			 Total spend  966,000

Departmental Events (Funding)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid.

David Lammy: The Government made a commitment to disclose details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than 5,000 in Departmental Annual Reports. My Department's 2004 Annual Report was published on 30 April 2004. Copies are available in the Library of the House. However, no funding was received from outside commercial bodies for the threshold mentioned.

Jury Verdicts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will seek to amend section 8 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 to allow parallel juries to facilitate research into the reasons behind jury verdicts.

Christopher Leslie: Section 8 of the Contempt of Court Act does not prohibit the use of parallel juries to facilitate research. On 11 September 2003 the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor announced that he would be publishing a consultation paper on research into real jury deliberations. We intend to publish the paper later this year.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of the population was entitled to civil legal aid in each of the last seven calendar years.

David Lammy: We do not have precise annual data. Given the complex rules for assessing financial eligibility for civil legal aid and changing income levels (including from state benefits and tax credits), individual analysis would need to be undertaken to identify the eligible percentage of the population, depending on whether the eligibility is being calculated of adults, children or households.
	In an analysis of eligibility in 2000 we estimated that in 1997 about 52 per cent. of the adult population in England and Wales were financially eligible for civil legal aid (either on a free or contributory basis). This fell to about 51 per cent. in 1999 and 50 per cent. in 2000. A separate analysis by the Legal Services Research Centre estimated that about 48 per cent. of benefit units were eligible in 199798, compared with 47 per cent. in 200102. Given that financial eligibility is assessed on income and capital, the percentage of children eligible will be very much higher.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Department has to exclude ownership of property from the means testing for eligibility for (a) civil and (b) criminal legal aid.

David Lammy: Consultation recently closed on a package of reforms to the civil legal aid scheme, including the removal of the current rule which disregards 100k of equity in an applicant's home, when assessing financial eligibility for legal aid. There will of course be exemptions in place for those on passported benefits or on the lowest incomes. We will announce the way forward in due course.
	The draft Criminal Defence Service Bill, transfers the grant of criminal public funding from the courts to the Legal Services Commission and re-introduces the means test for criminal public funding. The three models proposed in the original consultation paper took account of income alone. Revised proposals will be published shortly.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the current financial threshold is for eligibility for civil legal aid.

David Lammy: Those in receipt of Income support, income based Jobseeker's Allowance, or guaranteed state pension credit, automatically qualify financially for legal representation. Legal representation is available on a free or non-contributory basis, for people with a gross monthly income of less than 2,288, a disposable monthly income below 267 and disposable capital of 3,000 or less. If their monthly disposable income is between 267 and 707, or disposable capital between 3,000 and 8,000, they will be offered funding on the basis that they agree to pay contributions towards their legal costs.
	Legal Help, which provides for basic advice and assistance, is available free for anyone in receipt of the above benefits or for those with a gross monthly income of less than 2,288, a disposable monthly income of less than 621, and disposable capital of 3,000 or less.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what plans the Department has to reduce the (a) criminal and (b) civil legal aid budget;
	(2)  what plans the Department has to reduce the overspend on the criminal legal aid budget.

David Lammy: The information is as follows:
	Civil Legal Aid
	Consultation has recently closed on a package of changes to the scope and eligibility of civil legal aid. The proposals included measure to: remove legal aid from cases where private money might be used; avoid unnecessary litigation; and encourage early resolution of disputes. The package is designed to focus expenditure on areas where it is most needed. We will announce the way forward in due course.
	Criminal Legal Aid
	A scheme to introduce individual case contracts in very high cost criminal cases (VHCCCs) should provide significant savings over the next three years.
	In addition, the Criminal Defence Service Bill is being prepared for introduction in the next session of Parliament. The Bill will re-introduce the means test for criminal public funding in order to help bring the cost of legal aid under better control and focus the limited resources available for funding more closely on the people who need them most.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the change has been in the civil legal aid budget over the last four years; and what the reasons are for the change.

David Lammy: Prior to 200001 no formal budget was set for civil legal aid. Funding for civil legal aid was available from the total legal aid budget. However, under section 5(6) of the Access to Justice Act 1999, the Lord Chancellor is required to set an overall budget for the Community Legal Service Fund (civil legal aid). This is done by direction at the start of each financial year and by subsequent amendment to meet changing priorities. For the last four years the final budgets set were:
	
		
			  million 
		
		
			 200001 810 
			 200102 740 
			 200203 782 
			 200304 912 
		
	
	These budgets were set to accommodate the demand for civil legal aid in each year. For example, the initial budget for 200001 was increased to accommodate the rise in asylum applications, the faster processing of initial decisions and legal aid becoming available for representation in asylum appeals.
	The figures given are stated in cash terms and represent budgets set rather than expenditure in each year.

Magistrates Court (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions are taking place to safeguard the future of the magistrates court in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Christopher Leslie: The future of Newcastle-under-Lyme magistrates court has been the subject of a detailed consultation by the Staffordshire Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC). On 29 October 2003, the MCC determined that the Courthouse should be closed when a new Courthouse is established to serve the whole of North Staffordshire.
	The Staffordshire county council lodged an appeal against the determination on 21 November 2003, and discussions are currently ongoing, between the Staffordshire county council, the Stoke-on-Trent city council, my Department and the MCC with the view to considering suitable alternative sites for a new replacement Courthouse.

Payments into Court

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the value of unclaimed payments into court was in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The Court Funds Office (CFO) only receives unclaimed moneys into Court by way of statutory deposits under various Acts such as the Trustee Act 1925. However funds already in court can be transferred to the Unclaimed Balances Account if they meet certain criteria and attempts to trace the beneficiaries prove unsuccessful. The balance held on the UB account for the previous 10 years is as follows:
	
		Unclaimed balances figure for financial years 199495 to 200304
		
			 Financial year Year ended February: Amount 
		
		
			 199495 1995 31,500,000.00 
			 199596 1996 32,000,000.00 
			 199697 1997 31,433,000.00 
			 199798 1998 33,130,000.00 
			 199899 1999 32,864,990.00 
			 19992000 2000 32,302,053.00 
			 200001 2001 32,072,993.00 
			 200102 2002 32,028,577.00 
			 200203 2003 34,746,873.00 
			 200304 2004 40,994,967.00 
		
	
	Note:
	The above figures are net of payments to and from the account.

Personal Injury Claims

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of conditional fees in personal injury cases on (a) the setting-up of specialist personal injury solicitors firms to pursue claims and (b) the willingness of claims-handling businesses to pursue claims; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: In 1998 we commissioned KPMG to construct a business case showing whether a move from legal aid to Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) in a range of personal injury cases could result over a 10 year period in financial viability. The work suggested all law firms could maintain their business using CFAs subject to their management skills and that firms might do well if they specialised. Since then we have focused our research on the outcome for consumers of using CFAs as a form of litigation funding and a new report by Professor Fenn, Dr. Gray and Dr. Rickman is due in early 2005.

Personal Injury Claims

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Law Society, (b) the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, (c) the Bar, (d) the Association of British Insurers and (e) others over the pursuit of unmeritorious personal injury claims; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Discussions have taken place with a range of bodies in formulating the Government's response to the Better Regulations Task Force (BRTF) report, and will continue as work is taken forward.

Personal Injury Claims

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the evidential basis was for his statement on 10 November that (a) personal injury solicitors and (b) claims-handling businesses are improperly pursuing personal injury cases lacking in merit; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The contents of the Government's statement reflected the evidence presented in the Better Regulation Task Force (BRTF) report.

Personal Injury Claims

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what consideration he has given to regulating advertising for personal injury cases by (a) claims-handling businesses and (b) solicitors; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Government believes that there is no place for advertising that raises false expectations or promotes the bringing of frivolous claims. We believe that the Advertising Standards Authority and OFCOM advertising codes and the Law Society publicity code must be adhered to rigorously and will support any further action needed to help achieve this.

Personal Injury Claims

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what consideration he has given to regulating claims-handling businesses, in relation to personal injury claims; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Government wants to see the claims management sector regulated properly, and the sector has a last opportunity to do so itself. If it does not do this, the Government will consider how new formal regulation could be introduced, taking into account the recommendations of Sir David Clementi's review of the legal services regulatory framework.

Personal Injury Claims

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps he proposes to take to inform the public on the correct legal principles behind personal injury claims; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: How best to provide information of this sort will be taken forward in consultation with the various sectors, and is an issue which we will be asking the proposed Action Group of stakeholders to consider.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Graffiti Removal Notices

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many graffiti removal notices have been served under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the efficacy of graffiti removal notices;
	(3)  what duties are incumbent on local authorities to remove graffiti from local authority owned premises and facilities; and what steps local communities can take to enforce such action.

Hazel Blears: Graffiti is a serious issue that makes areas look run down and can often lead to an increase in crime and the fear of crime.
	That is why we introduced Graffiti Removal Notices in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 to ensure rapid removal of graffiti on street furniture, educational institutes and statutory undertakers' property. These provisions are being piloted in 12 sites in England. No notices have been served to date since strong and effective partnership arrangements have been established between local authorities and the telecommunications industry and others making the sanction of notices unnecessary to date. We are currently undertaking a Regulatory Impact Assessment to determine the impact and cost of improved graffiti removal arrangements with the partners in the pilots and are seeking comments up until 31 December 2004. After that date we will determine the efficacy of the scheme.
	There is no specific duty on local authorities to remove graffiti from all of their properties. However, many already remove it speedily because of the negative messages uncleaned graffiti sends out to a community. Local authorities typically require the removal of graffiti through their cleansing contracts and normally respond to racist, homophobic and other offensive graffiti within 24 hours of reports being received.
	Local communities have a vital role to play in ensuring local authorities respond to a range of antisocial behaviour priorities. However, since there is currently no requirement on local authorities to remove graffiti, active engagement with the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and relevant functions at the local authority is the best way for local communities to register concerns about graffiti.

Anglia Water

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been received from probation areas in respect of Anglia Water Group's contract for approved premises over the past 18 months.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 28 October 2004
	There have been 1,853 complaints in the 18 months between April 2003 and September 2004. This averages just over one complaint per month per premise. However, the level of complaints has been falling consistently following the introduction of an improvement plan.

Animal Experiments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he makes of the percentage of animals bred for possible experimentation purposes which are subsequently not used for these purposes.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 16 November 2004
	The Home Office does not collect this information centrally.
	However, the Animal Procedures Committee has recently investigated the production of conventional animals for use in scientific procedures, focussing specifically on rats, mice, dogs, cats and non-human primates, all of which are listed in schedule two of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and are required to be obtained from designated breeding or supplying establishments. The Committee published its report in September 2004 as Annex G to its Annual Report for 2003 (HC 1017). Their review was based on surveys carried out by the Laboratory Animals Science Association. The Committee concluded that overbreeding of conventional animals is not a significant problem. This conclusion is supported by the observations of Home Office Inspectors who visit designated breeding establishments.

Anti-crime Measures (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) community support officers and (b) street wardens have been introduced in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Hazel Blears: I am informed by the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police that there are six Community Support Officers and two street wardens currently deployed in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Anti-crime Measures (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to increase the numbers of special constables assisting the police.

Hazel Blears: The White Paper Building Communities, Beating Crime reaffirms the Government's commitment to increasing the number and the effectiveness of special constables.
	The Home Office announced in December 2003 the provision of funding of up to 70,000 for each of the 43 police forces in England and Wales under the Special Constabulary Capacity Building Scheme for dedicated staff and/or initiatives. The funding will assist forces implement good practice, improving the recruitment, management and deployment of specials.
	In addition, the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have brought out Good Practice Guidance designed to help all forces attract and hold on to specials, ensuring their time and skills are properly valued and used to best effect.
	In February this year we launched the Could You Volunteer? advertising campaign to raise awareness of the Special Constabulary and generate interest in their voluntary work. There followed a significant increase in expressions of interest in the specials.
	The campaign was timed to coincide with the second annual National Specials Weekend held on 2829 February 2004, with all 43 Forces in England and Wales working to raise the profile of the Special Constabulary. We are planning to hold another such weekend in 2005.
	We are working with businesses to encourage their support for specials in their employment and establish crime reduction partnerships with the police. For instance, the Shopwatch scheme originally launched by the Metropolitan police in Camden was recently extended to include Oxford Street and Regent Street.

Anti-crime Measures (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to (a) punish and (b) rehabilitate persistent offenders in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The Newcastle-under-Lyme Prolific Offenders project was set up in 1997 and was one of the first such projects in the country. It focused on those offenders known or believed to be committing large amounts of crime, and in particular burglary, in order to fund Class A drug dependencies. The project team comprises both police and probation officers and has access to an NHS specialist drugs nurse. The supervision by the probation officer includes home visits, support with finding accommodation or employment, developing support networks and drug testing.
	An evaluation undertaken by Keele University praised the strong multi-agency working arrangements which had developed and were a very strong factor in the success of the project. The project represented the UK at the European Crime Prevention Awards in 2001, where it finished runner-up.
	The project is one of many that contributed to the Government's national Persistent Offender Scheme in 200304 and the Prolific and other Priority Offender (PPO) Strategy that succeeded it in September 2004. The aims of these initiatives included a strong focus on catching and convicting persistent and prolific offenders and applying multi-agency interventions to rehabilitate them. The PPO strategy also includes a Prevent and Deter strand aimed to prevent young people at risk from developing into the prolific offenders of the future.

Antisocial Behaviour

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2004, Official Report, column 187W, how many of the persons given a custodial sentence for breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) (a) received a custodial sentence for other offences on the same appearance, (b) received a consecutive sentence of custody for breach of an ASBO when being dealt with for other offences on the same court appearance and (c) were being dealt with for breach of an ASBO alone.

Hazel Blears: Information held on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database shows that, of the 152 persons given a custodial sentence for breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO); (a) the number of custodial sentences given for other offences on the same court appearance is 88, (b) the number of consecutive sentences of custody for breach of an ASBO when being dealt with for other offences on the same court appearance is 76, and (c) the number of cases which were dealt with for breach of an ASBO alone is 44. In 56 cases the defendant received a consecutive custodial sentence for breach of an ASBO and a custodial sentence for one or more other offences on the same court appearance. Hence these cases are counted under both (a) and (b) .

Armley Prison

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the percentage of prisoners in Armley Prison with (a) drug-related problems, (b) alcohol-related problems and (c) mental illness.

Paul Goggins: Routine data collection at Leeds prison states that 72 per cent. of prisoners report drug related problems at reception. A needs analysis undertaken by the Prison Service in April 2004 estimates that in Leeds prison 25 per cent. of prisoners have alcohol related problems. On 12 October 2004, 14 per cent. of prisoners in Leeds prison had a diagnosed mental health problem.

Asylum Seekers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been awaiting an initial decision for more than (a) three and (b) six months.

Des Browne: The level of initial decisions has continued to exceed the level of applications in recent quarters, hence the number of cases awaiting initial decision has continued to fall, to 13,300 at the end of June 2004 (compared with 31,400 at the end of June 2003) and the lowest level for a decade. Of this total, 4,900 cases were work in progress (i.e. the application had been outstanding for six months or less), so a total of 8,900 cases had been awaiting an initial decision for more than six months. Similarly 9,200 cases had been awaiting an initial decision for more than three months.
	Eighty-two per cent. of new substantive applications received in 200304 had initial decisions reached and served within two months compared with 75 per cent. in 200203. For applications received in 200203, the figures were 85 per cent. within four months and 88 per cent. within six months. For April to December 2003, the corresponding figures were 90 per cent. within four months and 93 per cent. within six months.
	Information on the number of cases awaiting initial decisions, and on the timeliness of case processing, is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have arrived at UK (a) airports and (b) ports without any or any proper documentation and subsequently claimed asylum in each of the last 12 months.

Des Browne: Precise information on how many people have arrived at UK airports or ports undocumented and subsequently claimed asylum is unavailable. However, management information indicates that, during July 2003 and June 2004, undocumented arrivals (which may include dependants) was equivalent to around 70 per cent. of the number of port principal asylum applicants. A breakdown by type of port, and on how many subsequently claimed asylum, is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum applications is published on a quarterly and annual basis. The publication covering the third quarter of 2004 (July to September) was published on 16 November on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum Seekers

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities are fully reimbursed by the Government for (a) costs arising from the discharge of their responsibilities towards the children of asylum seekers and (b) consequent resource costs borne by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 November 2004
	Local authorities have a wide range of responsibilities towards children in their area. This applies to children of asylum seekers in the same way as to other children, and the funding mechanisms in place reflect this.

Asylum Seekers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of asylum seekers arriving at UK ports did not have an immigration document establishing identity and nationality or citizenship since section 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 came into force; how many such people have been prosecuted; how many of those (a) pleaded guilty, (b) were convicted after pleading not guilty, (c) were legally represented and (d) were given a custodial sentence; how many received a custodial sentence in excess of three months; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to public funds per month per person of keeping them in custody.

Des Browne: Precise information on how many people have arrived at UK airports or ports undocumented and subsequently claimed asylum is unavailable. However, management information indicates that, between July 2003 and June 2004, undocumented arrivals (which may include dependants) was equivalent to around 70 per cent. of the number of port principal asylum applicants. A breakdown by type of port, and on how many subsequently claimed asylum, is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	Since section 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 came into force on 22 September 2004.
	Eighty-two people have been charged under this section
	Of these 24 pleaded guilty and 58 pleaded not guilty. There has been insufficient time for any of those pleading not guilty to have their cases heard at a Crown court.
	All charged are entitled to legal representation, however there are no figures collated regarding how many were represented.
	There have been 19 custodial sentences and all of these were in excess of three months. Five other pleading guilty are awaiting sentencing.
	These figures represent the position as at the close of the courts on Wednesday 3 November.
	All figures are locally collated management information and are therefore subject to change.

Asylum Seekers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list local authority net current expenditure on asylum seekers for each local authority in England in each year since 199192.

Des Browne: The information is not available in the format requested. The Home Office took responsibility for payment of grants to local authorities supporting asylum seekers on 1 April 1999. Local authorities are able to claim grant from the Home Office within specified criteria to meet their costs of supporting asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there are in Wales, broken down by local authority area.

Des Browne: Information on the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in Wales, as at the end of June 2004, is presented in the following table. Corresponding figures for those not in receipt of NASS support are not available.
	
		Asylum seekers in receipt of NASS support, as at end of June 2004
		
			 Number of applicants (including dependants) 
			 Local authority Subsistence only support Accommodation support Total 
		
		
			 Blaenau Gwent 5 0 5 
			 Bridgend 5 0 5 
			 Caerphilly * 0 * 
			 Cardiff 50 1,060 1,110 
			 Carmarthenshire * 0  
			 Ceredigion * 0  
			 Conwy 5 0 5 
			 Denbighshire * 0  
			 Flintshire * 0  
			 Gwynedd * 0  
			 Merthyr Tydfil * 0  
			 Monmouthshire * 0  
			 Neath Port Talbot 5 * 5 
			 Newport 30 350 390 
			 Pembrokeshire * 0 * 
			 Powys * 0 * 
			 Rhondda 5 0 5 
			 Swansea 30 900 930 
			 Torfaen * 0 * 
			 Wrexham 5 55 55 
			 Total 155 2,375 2,525 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to the nearest five and therefore may not sum due to rounding.
	* equals 1 or 2. Figures are provisional.
	Accommodation support includes those receiving accommodation only support and those receiving accommodation and subsistence support.
	Information on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS is published quarterly. The publication covering the third quarter of 2004 (July to September) was published on 16 November 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum Seekers

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the costs of support for asylum seekers in Reading was borne by the local authority in the last financial year.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 November 2004
	The information is not available. Local authorities are able to claim grant from the Home Office within specified criteria to meet their costs of supporting asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles have been supplied to asylum seekers to facilitate their transport; at what cost; what the nationalities were of those concerned; what checks were made on the driving permits of those concerned; whether nationals of the countries of origin concerned in possession of these permits have an automatic right to drive in the UK; whether the asylum applications of the individuals involved was delayed by the lack of other documents; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The National Asylum Support Service does not provide cars to asylum seekers it is supporting. Asylum seekers, like any other person from abroad are expected to meet the requirements laid down by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency if they wish to drive here.

Asylum Seekers

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the London local authorities which are supporting asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The following London boroughs are providing support to asylum seekers:
	Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Corporation of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond-upon-Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth and Westminster.

Asylum Seekers

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entrants to the country who have arrived at John Lennon Airport, Liverpool in the last three years and been asked to report to immigration control have subsequently absconded or not reported back.

Des Browne: Information on the number of entrants at individual ports who have absconded or not reported back is only available by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Biometrics

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results from the UK Passport Service trial of biometrics will be published.

Des Browne: The enrolment of volunteers on the UK Passport Service Biometrics Trial is reaching its conclusion. To ensure engagement with a wide cross-section of the public, the trial will continue working with the disabled community into December. This will be followed by evaluation and quality assurance of the results, with the findings being released as soon as possible thereafter.

Charities Bill

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the draft Charities Bill; and when the Government plan to introduce the Charities Bill.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 8 November 2004
	The draft Charities Bill was published on 27 May 2004 and has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee. The Joint Committee reported on 30 September. The Government are considering their response to that report.
	The Government plan to introduce the Bill as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Charnwood Cohesion Project

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been given to the Charnwood Community Cohesion Pathfinder project in each of the last three years; and what plans he has for future funding.

Fiona Mactaggart: A total of 285,000 was provided to the Charnwood Community Cohesion Pathfinder between February 2003 and September 2004. Of this, a total of 150,000 was allocated to Charnwood borough council, 90,000 to the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) and 45,000 to fund Young Community Champions (YCC), a programme targeting young people. In the financial year 200203 a total of 90,000 was allocated to the programme, in the financial year 200304 135,000 was allocated and the figure in the financial year 200405 was 60,000.
	The Pathfinder Programme was developed to provide local authorities with an opportunity to explore what works in building community cohesion over an 18 month period. Local authorities are then expected to mainstream the findings of what works into their core service delivery functions. No further funding will be allocated under the provisions of this programme.

Charnwood Cohesion Project

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Charnwood Community Cohesion Pathfinder project; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Charnwood Community Cohesion Pathfinder is currently completing a self assessment process that will inform the Home Office about the impact of the programme in Charnwood and what the key measures in building community cohesion in Charnwood have been. In addition, Charnwood borough council will be conducting their own evaluation of their programme in January 2005 and will be advising the Home Office of the results of this evaluation in February 2005.

Child Abuse

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the proportion of (a) sex offenders and (b) the general population who have been victims of sexual or physical abuse as children.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database. No information on the circumstances of individual cases or the histories of those appearing before the courts is collected.
	A Home Office Police Research Series Paper published in 1998 (Sex offending against children: Understanding the risknumber 99) reviewed a number of studies in relation to sex offending against children and found differing percentages of sex offenders who had experienced childhood sexual abuse. There is no known source of this information in relation to the general population.
	The information requested in relation to the general population is not available centrally.

Citizenship Applications

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for citizenship were rejected in 2003.

Des Browne: 10,680 applications for citizenship were refused in 2003.
	Further information on all areas of citizenship can be found in the statistical bulletin Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2003. This publication can be found on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Civil Servants

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of continuous service for civil servants within the Department is.

Fiona Mactaggart: The latest figures for the average length of continuous service for civil servants in the department and its agencies (where known) as at 1 April 2004 have been placed in the Library.

Community Safety Wardens

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the terms under which police authorities may access additional resources to fund police community safety wardens; and what the timetable is for implementation of the process.

Hazel Blears: Our target is to deliver 24,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) by 2008 as a key part of our strategy to boost neighbourhood policing and tackle antisocial behaviour. The first phase of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund (NPF) will provide 50 million to enable police forces to recruit an additional 1,500 CSOs by the end of March 2005 and to support salary and related costs in 200506. Forces will be notified shortly of their allocations under this round of the NPF.
	We will shortly begin discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers and with the Association of Police Authorities on how the NPF will achieve the next phase of growth in CSO numbers.

Coroner/Death Certification Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the reform of the coroner and death certification services.

Paul Goggins: The timetable for reform of the coroner service was set out in the position paper Reforming the Coroner and Death Certification Service which was published in March 2004.
	Work on reform is progressing well and I expect a White Paper to be published, as promised, in spring 2005.

Counter-terrorism

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the (a) Metropolitan Police and (b) British Transport Police to take delivery of high standard chemical and biological suits for counter-terrorism duties; when he expects each force to have similar standard suits available for joint operations; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: UK police forces are equipped with military-style police personal protective equipment. To meet civilian requirements UK police forces including the Metropolitan Police are being trained and equipped in the new generation personal protective equipment, the CR1 suit. This began in April this year and is due to finish in April 2006.
	British Transport Police are trained and equipped with the military-style police personal protective equipment and they have developed an additional capability for specialist staff to use gastight suits and self-contained breathing apparatus to provide a response to incidents in the London underground and elsewhere.
	Joint exercises using the respective personal protective equipment take place routinely.

Crime/Sentencing Statistics

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ratio of crimes committed to police officer numbers is in Barnet; what the ratio in (a) outer London boroughs and (b) England and Wales is; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Area Number of crimes per officer(42) 
		
		
			 Barnet 27.6 
			 Outer London (2) 21.0 
			 England and Wales 17.5 
		
	
	(42) Calculation is based on the number of crimes for the six key offence groups: violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and theft from a motor vehicle. It does not include fraud and forgery, criminal damage or drugs and other offences categories of crime.
	(43) The Metropolitan Police advise that the outer London boroughs are, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Enfield, Havering, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Redbridge, Richmond-upon-Thames and Sutton.
	The deployment of police officers to Barnet Operational Command Units (OCU) and the other London borough OCUs is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Sir John Stevens).
	I understand that the London borough of Barnet Operational Command Unit had 541 police officers at the end of March 2004. Only one of the 13 outer London boroughs had a higher number of police officers.

Crime/Sentencing Statistics

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders placed on the home detention curfew scheme were (a) cautioned and (b) convicted in each year since 1999; and how many are awaiting prosecution.

Paul Goggins: As of 30 September 2004, 100,345 prisoners have been placed on the home detention curfew scheme since the scheme was introduced in January 1999. Up to 30 September 2004, 2,075 of those prisoners have been reported to the Home Office as having been cautioned, convicted or awaiting prosecution for an offence committed whilst they were subject to the scheme. This represents 2 per cent. of the offenders placed on the scheme.

Criminal Justice Act

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has determined the date for the commencement for sections 145 and 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to come into force; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Sections 145 and 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 relate to hate crime; these provide for courts to treat motivation by racial or religious prejudice, or prejudice related to disability or sexual orientation, as an aggravating factor for any criminal offence. These sections are not yet in force, but section 145 is a re-enactment of existing legislation contained in section 153 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 that is in force. The commencement date for these sections of the 2003 Act is currently under consideration and will be announced in due course.

Criminal Penalties Harmonisation

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is in respect of EU proposals to harmonise criminal penalties.

Caroline Flint: The Government do not believe that there is any justification for general harmonisation of criminal penalties. We support some agreement on criminal penalty levels but only where it focuses on tackling common threats posed by serious cross border and organised crime, for example in respect of trafficking in drugs and human beings and sexual exploitation of children. This view is reflected in the Hague Programme on Strengthening Freedom, Security and Justice in the European Union.

Criminal Record Checks

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place (a) to check the criminal records of civil servants in his Department and agencies responsible to his Department who have access to computer databases containing confidential information on the public and (b) to ensure that there can be no improper use of computer databases containing confidential information on the public; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: On recruitment to the Home Office and its agencies all civil servants are subject to the satisfactory completion of a criminal records check before they are allowed access to computer databases containing confidential information on the public. All serving staff are also required to report any conviction for a criminal offence (except a traffic offence with a non-official vehicle for which the penalty has not included imprisonment or the suspension of their driving licence). All IT systems containing protectively marked information have security operating procedures which set out clear requirements for the secure handling of data. On a regular basis these are brought to the attention of staff and they are required to read them.

Cyber Crime

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to combat (a) cyber crime and (b) cyber terrorism, with particular reference to (i) credit card fraud and (ii) identity theft.

Caroline Flint: The Government takes very seriously the issue of cyber attack. It has in place a number of organisations to ensure that the electronic fabric of society is not under attack. Advice, from a variety of sources, is also available to the general public and computer users. There is a fine line between criminal acts against information systems (so called e-crime) and what could be called a terrorist act. The damage or disruption to an electrical system can be the same irrespective of whether an attack is caused for criminal or terrorist reasons. Whatever the reason for an attack, action will be taken wherever possible against those responsible.
	Despite the investigative challenges posed by the internet, law enforcement seeks to take effective action against fraud whatever mechanism is used to commit it. Where cases involve serious and organised computer enabled criminality at national and international levels the case may be dealt with by the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) which we have set up within the National Crime Squad.
	The internet provides criminals with new opportunities to commit a range of financial frauds including credit card fraud and identity fraud. Credit card fraud takes various forms including phishing (the practice of sending e-mails claiming to originate from banks which ask customers to re-register at a replica bank website with the aim of using that information to transfer money out of these accounts), and card not present (CNP) fraud where genuine card details are stolen and used to make purchases through a remote medium such as the internet. Identity fraud usually occurs when someone's personal information such as name, address or date of birth is captured without their knowledge and used by someone else to support criminal activity, which could involve deception, financial gain or obtaining other benefits and services.
	The Home Office has established a cross public-private sector work programme to tackle identity theft and identity fraud. The programme co-ordinates existing activity in the public and private sectors and identifies new projects and initiatives to reduce identity fraud. On 14 July 2004 my hon. Friend Des Browne announced a website www.identitytheft.org.uk, which offers advice to consumers on how to protect themselves against identity theft and what to do if they think they have been victims of identity fraud.
	Education is a key factor in dealing with fraud over the internet. A large amount of internet fraud can be prevented if organisations have proper fraud prevention measures in place. The public must also be educated about the dangers of internet fraud and how to avoid falling victim to it.
	Government takes an active role in educating computer users about the risks of fraud committed by using the internet and the Home Office website provides advice on avoiding internet fraud. The Home Office has also created, and maintains the e-tailing mini site, which forms part of the crime reduction website. The mini site provides information to help both businesses and consumers protect themselves specifically when using the internet.
	We have published, jointly with the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) a leaflet on card safety which includes a section on using cards safely over the internet. The leaflet has been sent to all police forces in England and Wales, and to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. It is also available on the Home Office website and the e-tailing mini site, and APACS members (banks) will be sending a version of the leaflet to their cardholders.
	The Home Office is represented on an industry-led Steering Group which aims to tackle CNP fraud. We support practical measures being introduced by the industry to increase levels of security for internet transactions: These include Address Verification Services (AVS) and Card Security Code (CSC), along with Mastercard Secure Code and Verified by Visa which require password verification for internet transactions. These initiatives are already making a significant impact on CNP Fraud. The work of the CNP Steering Group has also led to the production of a manual (Spot and Stop Card Fraud Retailer Pack) which aims to educate merchants on the dangers of CNP fraud and the steps which can be taken to prevent it.

Departmental Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by his Department from (a) May 2001 to April 2002, (b) May 2002 to April 2003, (c) May 2003 to April 2004 and (d) May 2004 to the latest date for which information is available, indicating in each case (i) the values of the contracts and (ii) the companies with which the contracts were placed.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Department is unable to provide the level of detailed information sought on contracts. Records are not held centrally and to collate and to provide this information for the Home Office and its Executive Agencies would incur disproportionate costs. The Home Office is currently addressing the absence of centrally held information of this type through the implementation of new IT systems.

Departmental Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies for which he is responsible in each of the past three years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Department is unable to provide the level of detailed information sought on contracts. Records are not held centrally and to provide this information for the Home Office and its executive agencies would incur disproportionate costs. The Home Office is currently addressing the absence of centrally held information of this type through the implementation of new IT systems.

Departmental Efficiency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department's spending plans are based on a continuing reduction in the number of asylum applications.

Des Browne: The Department's spending plans are based on an assessment of the likely future costs of the immigration and asylum system. We have more than halved the number of asylum applications since October 2002.
	However, the spending plans are not primarily based on a continuing reduction in the number of asylum applications, but do take into account the published aim to reduce the number of unfounded asylum applications.

Departmental Efficiency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that efficiency saving plans do not have a detrimental effect on service provision.

Fiona Mactaggart: The purpose of the Home Office Value for Money programme is to redirect resources to the frontline services and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of frontline delivery. These improvements will underpin success in delivering the Department's public service agreement targets and in meeting the challenges identified in the Strategic Plan (Cm 6287). The Value for Money technical note, published on 1 November 2004 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/inside/org/pubs/index.html#servdel set out how overall the Value for Money programme would bring public service benefits and identified a number of particular ways by which the quality of service provision would be ensured.

Domestic Violence (Immigration Cases)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applications have been made under the domestic violence rule; and how many have involved children;
	(2)  how many applications under the domestic violence rule have been subject to judicial review;
	(3)  how many applications under the domestic violence rule were accepted when the initial decision was made; and how many were refused.

Des Browne: Data are not available on the number of applications received, whether they involve children, their outcome or whether they have been the subject of judicial review.
	More general information about the number of marriage applications granted and refused is published annually in the Command Paper Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom. The publication covering 2003 was published on 16 November and can be accessed on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Domestic Violence (Immigration Cases)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants who were refused permission to stay, under the domestic violence rule, appealed; and how many of those appeals were successful.

Des Browne: Information on how many applicants have been refused indefinite leave to remain under the domestic violence rule and how many have appealed are not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
	Some information about immigration appeals is published annually in the Command Paper Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom. Information covering 2003 was published on 16 November on the Home Office Research and Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Domestic Violence (Immigration Cases)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's research and monitoring into the number of cases of women applying under the domestic violence rule;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the reasons for refusal of applications under the domestic violence rule.

Des Browne: The domestic violence provisions were first introduced as a concession in 1999 and were reviewed after they had been in force for two years. It was as a result of this review, that the provisions were extended so that other types of evidence of domestic violence were accepted. The provisions were also incorporated into the immigration rules, giving the applicant the right of appeal against any refusal decision.
	The majority of refusals now are made on the grounds that the applicant has not produced satisfactory evidence that violence has occurred during the probationary period and has led to the breakdown of the marriage. Officials have met with women's support groups to discuss ways in which we can improve the quality of evidence presented with applications. This will allow decisions to be made more quickly.

Domestic Violence (Immigration Cases)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to extend the types of evidence required to prove domestic violence under the immigration rules;
	(2)  what plans he has to extend the domestic violence rule to protect all women subjected to domestic violence and immigration control.

Des Browne: The domestic violence provision in the Immigration Rules is there to protect victims of violence who have been admitted or given leave to remain in this country as a spouse and who would otherwise have a legitimate expectation of settlement at the end of their probationary period. It ensures that they can escape from the violence of their relationship without jeopardising their future in the UK.
	We have no intention of extending the provision for others here in a temporary capacitysuch as a visitor or student. Their partnership does not affect their immigration status and they have no expectation of settlement. We have recently extended the types of evidence we accept as proof of domestic violence. Ideally, we would still like evidence of criminal or legal proceedings being taken against the perpetrator of the violence. Those who inflict violence and terrify their partners should not get away with it. However, we realise that criminal action is not always possible and we therefore will accept other types of evidence, provided it is substantive and objective. This may take the form of more than one of the following:
	a medical report from a hospital doctor confirming that the applicant has injuries consistent with being a victim of domestic violence;
	a letter from a family practitioner who has examined the applicant and is satisfied that the applicant has injuries consistent with being the victim of domestic violence;
	an undertaking given to a court that the perpetrator of the violence will not approach the victim of the violence;
	a police report confirming attendance at the home of the applicant as a result of a domestic violence incident;
	a letter from a social services department confirming its involvement in connection with domestic violence;
	a letter of support or report from a women's refuge.
	We are looking at the interpretation of refuge in this context and will be issuing further guidance on this point in the near future.

Electronic Terrorism

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what security measures are being taken to protect the UK from the threat of electronic terrorist attacks.

David Blunkett: The Government take the threat of electronic terrorist attacks seriously.
	There is a fine line between criminal acts against computer and information systems, so called e-crime, and what we would call a terrorist act. Damage or disruption to IT systems can be the same irrespective of whether a criminal or a terrorist is responsible. Action will be taken against those responsible irrespective of the reason for the attack.
	We have set up the National HiTech Crime Unit (NHTCU) as part of the National Crime Squad to combat national and transnational hi-tech crime within, or which impacts, upon the UK.
	The National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre (NISCC) was set-up in 1999 and its work includes ensuring the security of Government systems. NISCC works with the private sector to improve the protection of electronic systems which are part of the UK's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). It provides a 24/7 service for alerting CNI organisations to vulnerabilities which could be exploited in an electronic attack irrespective of whether the attack is of criminal or terrorist origin.

Emergency Service Calls

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a new tiered emergency services call line; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Government have made a commitment to introduce a new national three-digit non-emergency phone number for contacting the police by 2008. The White Paper on Police Reform, Building Communities, Beating Crimea better police service for 21st century, published on 9 November, foresees the core of the system in place by the end of 2006. The main objectives are to make telephone access to the police easier and also to reduce the number of inappropriate 999 calls. Currently we are considering which range of civic services in addition to policing, crime and anti-social behaviour the public would most benefit from having a single point of access to.
	We are determined to establish the best possible service and we first need to identify what best meets the requirements of the community.

Equatorial Guinea

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Government of Equatorial Guinea for co-operation in the investigation of alleged conspiracy to carry out a coup d'tat in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 8 November 2004
	It is not the normal policy of the Home Office to discuss requests for mutual legal assistance. However, on this occasion I can confirm that the Home Office has received such a request from the Attorney General of Equatorial Guinea in relation to this matter and is considering it in line with normal procedures. Officials in the Judicial Co-operation Unit of the Home Office have been in close contact with the authorities in Equatorial Guinea and their legal representatives to ensure that we can co-operate as fully as possible with their inquiries. The Home Office is currently awaiting documentation from the Equatorial Guinean authorities, which will enable them to move forward with the case.

Extradition

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many United Kingdom citizens are awaiting extradition to the United States; and for what alleged offences.

Caroline Flint: As at 17 November 2004, there are 21 British citizens, who are the subject of US requests for their extradition from the UK to the US, whose cases have been placed before the courts, including some dual nationals. We do not record individual offences but the charges against the individuals involve:
	
		
			  Number of cases 
		
		
			 Theft 1 
			 Rape 1 
			 Fraud/forgery 6 
			 Murder 2 
			 Drugs offences 7 
			 Kidnapping 1 
			 Terrorism-related 2 
			 Child assault 1

Football Hooliganism

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to reduce football hooliganism since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Since 1997 the Government have introduced extensive powers to enable police and courts to tackle football disorder, notably in the form of rationalising and extending the scope to impose football banning orders.
	Following disorder during Euro 2000 the Home Office has co-ordinated a multi-agency strategy, working closely with police, football authorities and supporter groups towards:
	(i) maximum use of legislation preventing known troublemakers from attending matches or the surrounding area;
	(ii) maximum influence on expectations and preparations of overseas host police and civil authorities; and
	(iii) maximum encouragement of supporters taking responsibility for their behaviour and reputation.
	Statistics published by the Home Office last month confirmed that violence and disorder at football matches is now rare, with an average of less than two arrests per match for offences inside and outside of stadia. The number of banning orders now stands at 2,647.
	There is no complacency. Football disorder will not be tolerated but our stadia are now widely recognised as being amongst the safest and securest in the world, and the reputation of English and Welsh football fans at home and abroad has improved dramatically in recent years.

Forced Marriage Unit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the new joint Home Office-Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit plans to implement its strategy.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 10 November 2004
	The Forced Marriage Unit will open officially in December 2004 and will be the government's central unit dealing with forced marriage casework, policy and projects. It will provide information and assistance both to potential victims and to concerned professionals.
	Later this year we will launch a consultation on whether to create a specific criminal offence of forcing someone into marriage.
	In December we will publish a short guide for education professionals on how to identify and handle cases of forced marriage.
	In February 2005 we will publish updated guidance for the police on forced marriage, including accumulated best practice.
	Early next year we will distribute a free copy to every secondary school of the second series of the Watch Over Me teenage soap opera which addresses domestic violence and forced marriage.

Foreign Workers

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his proposals to attract skilled foreign workers into the UK; and what funding exists within his Department to pursue this policy.

Des Browne: The movement of skilled foreign workers into the UK is not a new phenomenon and has always been essential to our economy. For the UK to continue to be able to compete effectively in a global economy it is vital that employers are able to recruit workers with the skills they need to remain competitive, where those cannot be met from within the UK and wider EU workforce.
	We therefore believe that controlled, selective migration, alongside having a firm grip of our borders and dealing vigorously with any immigration or asylum abuse, works for the economic benefit of the whole of the UK.
	Our managed migration programmes, including the highly skilled migrant programme, attract fee income which is currently designed to match their cost over a number of years.

Fox Hunts

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Gloucestershire police receives additional resources to police fox hunts when (a) members of the Royal Family and (b) other VIPs are present.

Hazel Blears: Police grant is allocated to police authorities each year, based upon the relative need for policing, derived from the police funding formula. One element within the formula provides for certain security related commitments. For events such as fox hunts, Gloucestershire Constabulary would normally be expected to absorb any additional policing costs within their own budget.

Group Intervention Referral Panel

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the Group Intervention Referral Panel scheme.

Hazel Blears: The Group Intervention Referral Panel is a multi-agency, early intervention initiative, which works with children and young people most at risk of criminality in areas of Lancashire. It is similar to the Youth Inclusion and Support Panel model supported by the Youth Justice Board.
	As set out in the Home Office's Strategic Plan, Confident Communities in a Secure Britain, which was published on 19 July, the Government are committed to increasing the number of such schemes as part of our programme to reduce the number of children and young people drawn into criminal or antisocial behaviour.

Gun Crime (Wales)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidences of gun crime there were in Wales in 2003; and how many have been reported so far in 2004.

Caroline Flint: The latest available figures relate to firearms offences (excluding air weapon offences) recorded by the police. There were 169 offences recorded by the police in Wales in 200304 and 161 offences recorded in 200203.

Hague Programme

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the key targets are of the Hague Programme.

Caroline Flint: The key targets of the Hague Programme are outlined in the presidency conclusions. This includes the objectives to improve the common capability of the Union and its member states to guarantee fundamental rights, minimum procedural safeguards and access to justice, to provide protection in accordance with the Geneva Convention on Refugees and other international treaties to persons in need, to regulate migration flows and to control the external borders of the Union, to fight organised cross-border crime and repress the threat of terrorism, to realise the potential of Europol and Eurojust, to carry further the mutual recognition of judicial decisions and certificates both in civil and in criminal matters, and to eliminate legal and judicial obstacles in litigation in civil and family matters with cross-border implications.

Hague Programme

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals for action have been made under the Action Plan for the Hague Programme; what the timetable is for the (a) adoption and (b) implementation of each; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Hague Programme was endorsed by Heads of State at the European Council on 5 November 2004. The European Council has invited the Commission to present an Action Plan in 2005, with proposals for concrete actions and a timetable for their adoption and implementation. The Government will consider this Action Plan once presented.

Hamas

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to include Hamas in the Home Office list of terrorist organisations.

David Blunkett: The military wing of Hamas, Hamas-lzz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades (HIDQ), was added to the list of proscribed organisations in 2001 under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000. The list is kept under regular review. However, as a matter of policy we do not comment on whether a particular organisation is being considered for proscription. Such decisions are and will continue to be taken only after the most careful consideration and on the basis of the best possible security advice.

HMP Dovegate

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether psychotherapy courses in respect of HMP Dovegate have been curtailed since February.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 25 October 2004
	The Therapeutic Community at Her Majesty's Prison Dovegate provides intervention based on psychotherapeutic principles. It has functioned continuously from 12 November 2001 to the present time. Whilst adjustments to the total programme have been made to the programme during 2004 no Psychotherapy courses have been curtailed.

Home Detention Curfews

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders have been returned to custody for non-compliance with home detention curfew conditions in each of the last 24 months.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is provided in the table. These statistics are based on information recorded on the central Prison Service IT system at week ending 24 October 2004. Further updates and amendments may be made to records on this system in future, resulting in revised figures.
	
		HDC recalls for non-compliance with HDC conditions England and Wales, October 2002-September 2004
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 October 2002 78 
			 November 2002 79 
			 December 2002 102 
			 January 2003 101 
			 February 2003 88 
			 March 2003 102 
			 April 2003 103 
			 May 2003 114 
			 June2003 101 
			 July 2003 123 
			 August 2003 136 
			 September 2003 174 
			 October 2003 162 
			 November 2003 122 
			 December 2003 147 
			 January 2004 160 
			 February 2004 141 
			 March 2004 134 
			 April 2004 157 
			 May 2004 152 
			 June2004 140 
			 July 2004 156 
			 August 2004 160 
			 September 2004 132

Horse Passports

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what authority the Greater Manchester Police has demanded sight of horse passports from horse riders on the road.

Hazel Blears: Greater Manchester Police have no recollection of any incidents of this kind, and without precise details of time, dates, names etc. such information would be difficult to trace.

Identity Cards

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the European patents that will require licensing to implement the design of the biometric identity card system as authorised in Identity CardsThe Next Steps, column 6020.

Des Browne: No decision has been taken on the technologies or the implementations of these technologies which will be used for the identity cards scheme.

Identity Cards

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the government of the Republic of Ireland since November 2003 on the implications of the proposed identity card for (a) Irish citizens living in Great Britain and (b) persons living in Northern Ireland who under the Good Friday agreement may define themselves as Irish citizens.

Des Browne: The Government have continued to keep in contact with the Irish authorities about our plans. We have discussed the implications of our plans for Irish citizens and those living in Northern Ireland who under the Good Friday agreement may define themselves as Irish citizens.
	The constitutional position of Irish citizens resident in any part of the United Kingdom will be unchanged by the plans for introducing a national identity cards scheme.

Identity Cards

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the cost of the identity card to the holder.

Des Browne: At our current best estimates, the indicative fee for a combined package of 10-year passport and ID card would be 85.
	By 2008, 87 per cent. of the adult population are expected to hold a passport, and therefore most individuals will get the combined passport/identity card package. The cost of the stand-alone card will be subject to demand and volumes.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the basis was for the budget allocation for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in 200405.

Des Browne: The budget for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in 200405 was allocated on the basis of planned expenditure for that year, in line with the PSA targets for the Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs with regard to regulating entry to the United Kingdom. The basis for the budget allocation was the provision of sufficient funds to meet those targets.

Immigration Officers (Complaints)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has commissioned regarding the nature of complaints made against immigration officers.

Des Browne: Allegations of misconduct or inefficiency against individual immigration officers are investigated under the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) formal complaint procedures.
	The investigation process is monitored by the IND Complaints Audit Committee (CAC), an independent body appointed by myself to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the complaint investigation system.
	The CAC produces an annual report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, which includes an analysis of the number of complaints received and the nature of allegations investigated over the period covered by the report.
	The most recent CAC Annual Report published in July 2004 covers the 12-month period ending 31 March 2004, and is available in the Library.

Iraq

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British police officers have visited Iraq in an official capacity since the fall of Saddam Hussein; and what the purposes of the visits were.

David Blunkett: A representative of the Association of Chief Police Officers has visited Iraq three times in a formal capacity: on two occasions regarding the deployment of UK civilian police and on one occasion with a senior UK military officer to advise on the development of the Iraqi security forces.
	There are currently 43 serving and one retired UK civilian police officers seconded to Iraq and working with the Iraqi Police Service in both Basra and Baghdad in an advisory, training and mentoring capacity. The officers are from forces in England and Wales, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Ministry of Defence Police. In addition to the 44 police officers currently working in Iraq a further nine officers have completed a tour in Iraq in a training capacity and have since returned to their home force.
	There are also occasional additional ad hoc visits associated with operational policing issues.

Muslim Association of Britain

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the activities of (a) the Muslim Association of Britain and (b) Dr. Azam Tamimi, spokesperson for the Association in relation to recent broadcast comments on incitement to UK citizens to become suicide bombers.

David Blunkett: holding answer 9 November 2004
	The investigation of alleged criminal activity is a matter for the police service. Anyone with concerns that the actions of an individual may be criminal should report their suspicions to their local force. In the case of suspected terrorist acts, they could also call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.

National Offender Management Service

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) role, (b) function and (c) salaries of regional offender managers in the National Offender Management Service will be.

Paul Goggins: The regional offender managers will play a pivotal role in driving forward the major reforms in the way offenders are managed both in prison and by the Probation Service.
	In particular they will ensure that offender management is central to the work of both services. We intend that by 200607 they will:
	Commission services from prisons and local probation boards and hold both prisons and probation areas to account for their performance.
	Improve performance by developing contestability which will allow alternative service providers to compete for work so that each region obtains the very best value for money in managing offenders.
	Hold the budgets for the probation areas and prisons in their regions.
	The salaries of the regional offender managers were advertised at 62,400 to 83,384, with the possibility of higher pay for exceptional candidates.

Naturalisation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were refused naturalisation in 2003 on the good character grounds.

Des Browne: 885 1 persons were refused naturalisation on the good character grounds in 2003.
	Further information on all areas of citizenship can be found in the statistical bulletin Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2003. This publication can be found on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	1 This figure may include a small number of registration cases.

Naturalisation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been issued on what good character means in the context of the naturalisation process.

Des Browne: Comprehensive guidance on good character is included in Chapter 18, Annex D, of the Nationality Instructions which have been deposited in the Library and which may also be accessed via the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk.
	A summary of the guidance is included in Naturalisation as a British CitizenA Guide for Applicants which accompanies the application form for naturalisation. This too may be accessed on the website.

Naturalisation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the guidance given in respect of naturalisation of citizens states that a motoring offence may affect the question of character.

Des Browne: The guide which is sent to applicants for naturalisation states that if the applicant has a criminal conviction which is not yet spent the application is unlikely to succeed. The guide makes clear that all unspent criminal convictions, including convictions in respect of road traffic offences, must be declared.

Naturalisation

Anne Picking: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when hon. Members will be eligible to be designated persons in supporting naturalisation applications.

Des Browne: I have written to representatives of all the parliamentary parties represented in this House for their views as to whether hon. Members would favour taking on this function, and will consider their responses before making a decision.

North Yorkshire Police Authority

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been employed in the North Yorkshire police authority area in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the table.
	
		
			  
			 Year (as at 31 March) Police officer numbers(44) Police (support) staff numbers(44) 
		
		
			 1997 1,160 520 
			 1998 1,367 543 
			 1999 1,337 541 
			 2000 1,283 492 
			 2001 1,305 591 
			 2002 1,417 743 
			 2003 1,444 723 
			 2004 1,529 864 
			 2004(45) (46)1,535 (47) 
		
	
	(44) Data provided by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS).
	(45) 31 August.
	(46) August 2004 data was collected separately outside of the normal data collection arrangements and has not been subject to the same validation as RDS data.
	(47) Not available.

Number Recognition Cameras

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding his Department is providing in 200304 for the installation of number recognition cameras.

Caroline Flint: The Home Office has not provided funding specifically for the installation of cameras for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) in the 200304 financial year. Any such investment in this area would have been for individual police forces to decide and possibly in conjunction with local partnerships. Home Office intends to make 15 million of Capital funding available to police forces in England and Wales to improve their existing ANPR capability. This will fall within the 200506 financial year.

Overseas Corruption

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many scoping studies are being undertaken into allegations of overseas corruption.

Caroline Flint: We are not aware of any scoping studies currently under way into allegations of overseas corruption.

Overseas Corruption

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, column 302W, on overseas corruption, what the sources were of other allegations; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The breakdown of the sources of other allegations that answered on 3 November at Column 302W is as follows:
	
		
			  
		
		
			 Home Office 2 
			 Department for Trade and Industry 2 
			 Metropolitan police 1 
			 Ministry of Defence police 5 
			 City of London police 1 
			 Serious Fraud Office 2 
		
	
	It should be noted that the reporting agencies above were those which informed the National Criminal Intelligence Service of the alleged offences and not necessarily the originating source.

People Trafficking

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many cases of trafficking of people were reported to his Department in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many cases of illegal trafficking of women from Moldova were reported to his Department (a) last year and (b) within the last six months.

Des Browne: Until the recent introduction of legislation specifically criminalising trafficking, prosecutions for trafficking have been for a variety of associated offences. These include amongst others facilitation of illegal entry, kidnap, false imprisonment and living off immoral earnings. The UK keeps detailed statistics on all court proceedings in a national database and publishes these on an annual basis. While information on convictions for all these offences is available, it is not possible to determine which of the prosecutions for associated offences related to cases of trafficking.
	We have recently introduced legislation to criminalise trafficking comprehensively. We introduced an offence of trafficking for prostitution in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. This was replaced by more wide-ranging offences of trafficking for sexual exploitation in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. A new offence, of trafficking for exploitation, which includes, for example, trafficking for forced labour and the removal of organs, has also been included in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004. All these offences carry a tough 14 year maximum sentence. We are starting to see charges brought for the offences in the 2002 Act and 2003 Act but are not yet aware of any successful prosecutions.
	We are committed to supporting effective enforcement action against trafficking. Reflex, a multi-agency taskforce, was set up in 2000 to deal with organised immigration crime, including trafficking. Its remit is to co-ordinate the enforcement response to such issues, both nationally and internationally, and to develop the intelligence and strategic planning to underpin this.
	We are seeing successful disruptions and prosecutions of cases of human trafficking including cases which have involved women trafficked from Moldova. In February 2004 three people were convicted of offences relating to the trafficking of women from Moldova and Lithuania to work in the London vice trade. The principal defendant was convicted of controlling prostitutes and false imprisonment and sentenced to six years imprisonment.
	Another example is the case of Luan Plakici. Plakici was involved in the trafficking of women from Romania and Moldova into prostitution. He was convicted of facilitation of illegal entry, incitement to commit rape, false imprisonment and kidnapping in December 2003, and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. The Attorney General considered the sentence unduly lenient and appealed to the Court of Appeal. The court agreed and imposed a sentence of 23 years imprisonment.

People Trafficking

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals the Government is putting forward with regard to taking a more effective joint international approach to (a) illegal migration, (b) trafficking and smuggling of human beings and (c) other cross-border problems.

Des Browne: The UK recognises that illegal migration, trafficking and smuggling of human beings and other cross-border problems are international issues which require international solutions. Depending on the nature of specific problems, the Government takes action bilaterally, or within ED or International fora.
	The Government are fully engaged with key EU and international partners in tackling illegal migration. Work in this field includes bilateral negotiations with key source countries for asylum applications and illegal immigrants as part of continued action to reduce illegal flows and tackling the criminals involved. There is also much work under way on illegal migration within the EU.
	Within the current EU agenda this includes: the incorporation of biometrics into visas and EU nationals' passports; an EU Border Agency to co-ordinate member states joint action at the EU external borders; development of the Immigration Liaison Officers network and new databases to facilitate sharing of information. These different work strands will enable the EU to adopt a more intelligence-led, outcome-focussed policy towards illegal immigration. The Government supports the direction, which this work is taking, as set out in the new five-year work programme on Justice and Home Affairs (the Hague Programme).
	The Government continues to emphasise the importance of working with third countries to improve the management of migratory flows, addressing the factors that force people to leave their countries and preventing illegal immigration, including people smuggling and trafficking. This requires a coherent and comprehensive approach, working with source and transit countries and EU and bilateral action.
	The Government have no current plans to put forward any new proposals in this areaexisting measures need to be given time to bed down before new initiatives are put forward.
	In 2000, we set up Reflex, a practical multi-agency taskforce to combat organised immigration crime, which includes people trafficking. It is funded by the Home Office and led by the National Crime Squad (NCS). It brings together the key agencies involved in combating organised immigration crime. From April 2003 -March 2004 there were 38 disruptions of criminal networks, and 38 convictions of smugglers and traffickers involved in organised immigration crime at level 3. This Financial year there have been 18 disruptions.
	Upstream work is a key part of the Reflex strategy acknowledging that disruption will be most effective as close to source as possible. The expansion of an international network of Immigration Liaison Officers in countries that are considered to contain key nexus points for transit to the UK has been a key component of the Reflex strategy, alongside the development of overseas alliances.
	In March the Government published a White Paper called One Step Ahead: A 21st Century Strategy to Defeat Organised Crime. It contained proposals to create the Serious Organised Crime Agency, a powerful new agency bringing together the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), HMCE's investigation and intelligence work on serious drug trafficking and recovering criminal assets, and the Immigration Service's work on organised immigration crime. This Agency is due to be set up by April 2006, and will drive work forward with partners overseas to ensure that our efforts are co-ordinated across borders.
	UK diplomatic posts currently hold over 120 UK law enforcement liaison officers who support domestic enforcement agencies by providing a focus for operational co-operation on organised crime. The new Serious Organised Crime Agency will join up NCIS and HMCE liaison networks to allow more co-ordinated working against the whole range of criminal threats to the UK.
	The UK also continues to support the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Council of Europe and United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in their efforts to tackle trafficking in human beings and other organised international crime. The UK is currently contributing to the work on the Council of Europe's Convention against the Trafficking of Human Beings.
	Through its Drugs and Crime Fund, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds a range of projects to help source and transit countries build their capacity to fight organised international crime

People Trafficking

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Government are taking to tackle the trafficking of women and children into the UK.

Des Browne: The Government are committed to combating human trafficking effectively through legislation, effective enforcement action, support for victims of trafficking and prevention in source countries.
	We have already introduced legislation comprehensively to criminalise trafficking. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 made trafficking for the purposes of prostitution a specific offence for the first time. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 introduced new more wide-ranging offences covering trafficking into, out of or within the UK for any form of sexual offence. We have now also introduced offences covering other forms of exploitation, for example, trafficking for forced labour and the removal of organs, in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004. All these trafficking offences have a tough maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.
	We are also working to tackle the criminal networks involved in people trafficking through Reflex, the multi-agency response to organised immigration crime. Its remit is to co-ordinate operations against organised immigration crime, including trafficking, and to develop the intelligence and strategic planning to underpin them. Between April 2003 and April 2004 Reflex resulted in 38 disruptions and 38 convictions for organised immigration crime, this figure includes those involved in human trafficking as well as people smuggling and related activities. The Reflex figures for the first six months of this year show a further 18 disruptions and over 1 million of assets seized.
	We also recognise the importance of providing protection for the victims of trafficking in order to encourage them to co-operate with the authorities. The Government are therefore also working with the voluntary sector and law enforcement agencies to secure support for adult victims of trafficking. In March 2003, in conjunction with the voluntary sector, we launched a Home Office funded pilot scheme to provide safe accommodation and support for adult female victims of trafficking for the purposes of prostitution. Pending full evaluation of the pilot, the Home Office has agreed to continue funding the scheme during 200405. We will use the period up to April 2005 to consider in detail the evaluation evidence and to take decisions as to the type and extent of support needed in the future.
	Our strategy also encompasses work with source countries to tackle the problem at its root and to build effective international action. The Department for International Development Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are funding prevention projects to educate potential victims of the dangers of trafficking, particularly for women and children, in source countries.

Persistent Offenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated on whether persistent offenders are responsible for the majority of crime.

Paul Goggins: Annex B of Criminal Justice: the way forward (CM 5074), published in 2001, contains research which gives an estimate of the active offender population in England and Wales.
	The research is based on the Home Office Offenders Index database which holds the criminal histories of everyone convicted of a serious offence since 1965.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what feedback he has received on National Policing Plans.

Hazel Blears: Consultation on the National Policing Plan 200508 took place from 30 September to 27 October. Responses have been received from key policing stakeholders and criminal justice partners. These will be considered as we prepare the National Policing Plan 200508 for publication.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the conclusions of the report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary on a future strategy for civilianization.

Hazel Blears: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary thematic inspection report Modernising the Police Force was published in July.
	The recommendations highlighted in the report support work already under way by Government and within forces.
	We welcome the contribution the report makes to the policing debate. The report provides a highly useful evidence base and benchmark of views from a wide cross section of the service, on how police staff are currently deployed and managed. The report will send out a general message of the increasing importance of the role of police staff.
	We will continue to work with all stakeholders including the staff side, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities and other police stakeholder groups to ensure that Workforce Modernisation remains at the centre of police reform.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what accountability procedures are in place for police authorities.

Hazel Blears: Police authorities should both be held to account for their own performance and have adequate powers to hold police forces to account for performance. Local authority representatives are currently members of police authorities and this ensures that police authorities are tied into local democratic accountability. The White Paper, Building Communities, Beating Crime: a better police service for the 21st century, published on 9 November considers options for national arrangements to make police authorities more visible, responsive and accountable to local communities. We are also exploring how police authorities might hold police forces more effectively to account for their responsiveness to public concerns about community safety.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent Senior Investigations Officers' Handbook.

Hazel Blears: The Senior Investigating Officers' Handbook for the Investigation of Historical Institutional Child Abuse, published by the Association of Chief Police Officers, is an internal document for the police service. I therefore have no plans to place a copy of it in the Library.

Police

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Newcastle-under-Lyme in (i) 1997 and (ii) at the latest available date.

Hazel Blears: Information on police strength is set out in Table 1. The Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency is part of the North Staffordshire Basic Command Unit (BCU) of the Staffordshire Police. Information on strength at BCU level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002. BCU strength between March 2002 and March 2004 is set out in Table 2. It is not possible to provide police numbers at constituency level.
	
		Table 1: Staffordshire police strength 1997 to 2004
		
			 Year (as at 31 March) Police officer numbers(48) Police (support) staff (48) 
		
		
			 1997 2,211 763 
			 1998 2,292 866 
			 1999 2,238 1,004 
			 2000 2,170 858 
			 2001 2,129 935 
			 2002 2,133 1,030 
			 2003 2,202 1,146 
			 2004 2,266 1,255 
			 2004 (31 August) (49)2,274 Not available 
		
	
	(48) Data provided by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS).
	(49) August 2004 was collected separately outside of the normal data collection arrangements and has not been subject to the same validation as RDS data.
	
		Table 2: North Staffordshire Basic Command Unit
		
			 Year (as at 31 March) Number of police officers 
		
		
			 2002 269 
			 2003 Not available 
			 2004 301 
		
	
	The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Mr. John Giffard QPM) and within the North Staffordshire BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Police

Douglas Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, when determining funding for police services in Lincolnshire for financial year 200506, he will make specific provision of 1.9 million to assist in covering the cost of police pensions in that year.

Hazel Blears: I shall not be making a specific grant for pensions' costs next year. All police authorities will receive their fair share of available funding. 14.5 per cent. of formula funding is allocated to police pensions' costs. Allocations to individual police authorities will be based on projections supplied by forces to the Government Actuaries Department during the past year.

Police Bureaucracy Steering Group

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the Police Bureaucracy Steering Group.

Hazel Blears: The members of the Policing Bureaucracy Implementation Steering Group are as follows:
	John Giffard: Association of Chief Police Officers (Co-chair)
	Stephen Rimmer: Home Office (Co-chair)
	Jaee Samant: Home Office
	Michael Kennedy: Association of Police Authorities
	Andrew Honeyman: Association of Police Authorities
	Rick Naylor: Police Superintendents' Association
	Mick Barker: Police Federation
	Ben Priestley: UNISON
	Richard Bryan: Metropolitan Police Service
	Peter Todd: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
	Lindsay McKean: Home Office
	Ian Grant: Staffordshire Police
	Lisa Dillon: Home Office

Police Funding

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much central Government grant was given to each police authority to counter terrorism in 200304.

David Blunkett: For security reasons we would not wish to disclose the levels of funding given to individual police authorities with the exception of the Metropolitan Police Service. However I can say that in 200304 there was 59 million of direct grant made available to the Police Service in England and Wales for the purposes of countering terrorism. Of this, 47million was allocated to the Metropolitan Police and 12 million allocated to other provincial forces in England and Wales. In 200405 this direct grant has been increased to 84 million of which 61 million is allocated to the Metropolitan Police and 23 million to provincial forces.

Police Guidance (Local Discretion)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues to police forces on the use of local discretion.

Hazel Blears: I understand that the inquiry relates to the use of local discretion in stop and search issues.
	The Police and Criminal Evidence Act Code A sets out the statutory requirements for officers, forces and police authorities in relation to stop and search. Code A was revised in August 2004 to take into account the requirements of recording stops.
	In accordance with section 1.1 of the revision:
	Powers to stop and search must be used fairly, responsibly, with respect for people being searched and without unlawful discrimination. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 makes it unlawful for police officers to discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins when using their powers.

Police Paperwork

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the evidence of the Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing, Community Safety and Counter-Terrorism to the Home Affairs Select Committee of 26 October, if he will list the items of police paperwork which have been reduced since 1997.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 November 2004
	We have eliminated over 7,700 forms. Details of the forms made obsolete by individual forces are not held centrally. We remain committed to reducing the administrative burdens and eliminating the unnecessary paperwork and inefficient working practices that keep officers off the streets.

Police Recruits

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants accepted to join each police force are waiting to start their training course; what the longest period is that an applicant in each force has been waiting to start the training course; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Data on how many applicants, accepted to join each police force, are waiting to start their training course and what the longest period is that an applicant in each force has been waiting to start the training course is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police Stations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have opened since 1979.

Hazel Blears: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the Chief Officer, who are responsible for assessing and responding to local needs. The ownership of police stations is vested in the local police authority, not the Home Office. Their use and disposal are a matter for local decision-making.
	From March 1993 to March 2003 data are available for 33 police authorities. During that time 247 police stations were opened. Consistent information is available only from 1993.

Police Time

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time spent by a police officer is between arrest to a charge cleared by the Crown Prosecution Service; what this represents as a percentage of the officer's working day; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided on 15 November 2004, Official Report, column 1020.

Police Training

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions have taken place with Centrex on the funding available for police training; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: In line with general reductions in public spending, Centrex has received a reduction in its Home Office grant for the current financial year. Centrex are also liable to pay VAT this year, which they did not have to pay last year.
	However, the Home Office have been working closely with Centrex on managing the implications of the reduction in grant, and significant efficiency savings have been made. We are confident that the quality of training provided by Centrex has not been impaired.
	It should also be recognised, however, that forces allocate significant resources to training and development locally. This is separate from the Centrex allocation.

Prison Education Programmes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the use of the internet in prisons for learning and training programmes.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 15 November 2004
	As part of the development of an integrated education and training service for offenders in custody and the community, provision will be made for e-learning, including an exploration of ways to give offenders access to the web. Currently under construction is a prison pilot involving three computer terminals, from which offenders will have closely monitored and carefully controlled access to specific websites for the purpose of learning, with a view to extending this if successful.

Prison Education Programmes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the pay differential for prisoners who (a) work and (b) take part in education or training.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 15 November 2004
	I have no plans at present to change the Prison Service pay scheme. The policy contained in Prison Service Order 4460 sets national criteria that include minimum rates of pay; but individual schemes are the responsibility of prison governors. They must publish annually the rates of pay for all activities, whether work or education, in their prisons. Pay is an integral part of the Prison Service Incentive and Earned Privileges scheme designed to motivate prisoners to achieve a range of personal targets set by their sentence plans and tailored to their needs. Prison staff will continue to develop a range of methods to encourage prisoners to take part in education.

Prison Service

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation paid to inmates who have become ill due to smoke inhalation caused by fires in Prison Service buildings in each of the past five years.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service records do not identify claims that relate specifically to smoke inhalation. To provide this information could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of section 126 of the Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994 allowing privatisation of the prison service.

Paul Goggins: There has been no assessment of the effects of section 126 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
	The most recent assessment of contracting out prison management to the private sector forms part of the report by Lord Carter of Coles entitled Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime which was published by the Home Office on 11 December 2003. In that report Lord Carter recommended that contestability should be introduced across the whole of prisons and community interventions, with outcome based contracts in place within 5 years. The Government's response, Reducing CrimeChanging Lives, accepts the central role of contestability in the operation of the National Offender Management Service. Privatisation was not put into effect by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. No public assets have been sold to the private sector.

Prisoner Parents

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to allow prisoner parents to retain responsibility for their children during imprisonment.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service helps prisoners to maintain parental responsibility through social visits, telephone calls, letters, and a number of specific programmes including Family Man, Fathers Inside, and Storybook Dads. Establishments are encouraged, often in partnership with voluntary organisations, to develop new practices to improve family ties.
	The Government have also introduced the new sentence of intermittent custody that enables suitable offenders to serve their sentence while continuing to fulfil parental responsibilities.

Prisons (Fire Safety)

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what comparative studies have been carried out during the last two years of the public sector and private finance initiative prisons; and what the results of the studies were.

Paul Goggins: National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports, both entitled The Operational Performance of PFI Prisons, were issued during the 200203 session and both drew comparisons with public sector prisons.

Prisons (Fire Safety)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2004, Official Report, column 486W, on prisons, if he will list the sites for the 1,300 new places announced on 29 September; on what dates each is expected to be useable; if he will list the sites for the 2,400 places planned over the next 18 months; and on what dates they will be available for use.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 3 November 2004
	It is proposed that the 1,300 new places announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 29 September will be created in existing prisons by a combination of houseblocks, ready-to-use units and the reclamation of accommodation that has been out of use. The final locations and functions of the new places will take into account the projected need, costs and the outcome of applications for planning clearance. Work will start during 200506.
	Around 2,400 additional places are due to be completed and usable over the next 18 months and summarised in my previous reply are set out in the table:
	
		
			 Proposed(50) Establishment Places 
		
		
			 November 2004 Blakenhurst 180 
			 November 2004 Wellingborough 120 
			 November 2004 Swinfen Hall 180 
			 March 2005 Gartree 240 
			 June 2005 Everthorpe 120 
			 August 2005 Nottingham 180 
			 December 2005 Whatton 400 
			 December 2005 Chelmsford 120 
		
	
	(50) These are proposed dates that may be subject to change.
	Also included within the package of around 2,400 places is a new 840 place private sector prison, HMP Peterborough, which is due to open on 28 March 2005.

Probation Service

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to implement the National Probation Service Pay and Reward Review.

Paul Goggins: The Employers' Side of the National Probation Service (NPS) National Negotiating Committee (NNC) has had a number of meetings with the Trade Union Side about the introduction of new pay and grading arrangements. Until very recently it was expected, by both sides, that the 200405 annual pay settlement would be subsumed within any agreement reached. This has not proved possible in view of the wide-ranging and complex issues involved. Discussions will continue.
	There will be a further meeting of the NNC on 15 November.

Reoffending

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will measure the impact of the prison regime on the subsequent re-offending of discharged prisoners.

Paul Goggins: The reconviction rates of discharged prisoners are measured and monitored against Public Service Agreement 5. The most recent publication relates to the reconviction of prisoners discharged in 1999 and is available on the Home Office website.

Reoffending

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will measure the impact of different prison regimes on individual prisoners in respect of re-offending.

Paul Goggins: The reconviction rates of discharged prisoners are measured and monitored against Public Service Agreement 5. The most recent publication relates to the reconviction of prisoners discharged in 1999 and is available on the Home Office website.

Reference Number H1128792

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reach a decision in relation to case Reference Number H1128792.

Des Browne: holding answer 15 November 2004
	Further inquiries need to be made before a decision can be reached in this case. Home Office officials have sent a letter to the applicant requesting the relevant information.

Refugees

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken in the last 12 months to improve its ability to deter people who attempt to acquire refugee status by giving a false nationality or country or region of origin.

Des Browne: We have taken a number of steps to deal with this issue.
	Section 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004 came into force on 22 September 2004. This provision allows for the prosecution of asylum seekers (and others) who arrive in the UK undocumented without reasonable excuse. If found guilty, they face a maximum two-year prison sentence. To date 79 individuals have been arrested and charged with this new criminal offence.
	In addition, we are reviewing asylum screening arrangements. This will deliver a more streamlined, effective and strategic process while maintaining the fundamental principles of robustness and assertiveness in the screening process. This review will have a significant impact on those who seek to abuse the asylum process by claiming to hold a false nationality.
	Furthermore, in order to ensure that asylum applicants posing falsely as nationals from countries other than that of their origin are dealt with appropriately, we are using language analysis testing in disputed nationality asylum cases.
	Other initiatives, such as the Visa Immigration and Asylum Fingerprinting project, designed to identify asylum seekers who have obtained visas at UK missions abroad, and the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System, have led to the identification of individuals who have attempted to apply for asylum using false information about their nationality.

Regional Offender Managers

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library (a) the job specification and (b) the selection criteria that were used for the recently appointed regional offender managers.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 16 November 2004
	I have arranged for a copy of the job specification and selection criteria for the recently appointed Regional Offender Managers to be placed in the Library.

Scientific Procedures

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many places in Scotland are designated as (a) a supplying establishment, (b) a breeding establishment and (c) a scientific procedure establishment under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986;
	(2)  how many regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were carried out in Scotland in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003;
	(3)  how many project licences were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 in respect of work to be carried out in Scotland.

Caroline Flint: Comprehensive statistics regarding the licensed use in Great Britain of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are published annually. Copies of the publications for 2002 and 2003 can be found in the House Library (Cm 5886 and Cm 6291 respectively).
	However, the data is not collected, stored or presented in a way enabling it to be easily broken down between England, Wales and Scotland. There is normally no requirement for that, as the 1986 Act is administered by the Home Office for the whole of Britain (it is administered separately in Northern Ireland). A special exercise has therefore been conducted to isolate the information requested in these Questions.
	At 31 December 2003 (the latest available published data) there were 35 establishments in Scotland designated as places where licensed scientific procedures using animals may be conducted. Of these 20 were also designated as breeding establishments and nine as supplying establishments.
	The number of recorded regulated procedures conducted in Scotland in 2002 under the 1986 Act was 418,952. The corresponding figure for 2003 is 433,646. In each year this represents just over 15 per cent. of the total for Britain.
	In 2002 a total of 91 project licences were granted in Scotland under the 1986 Act. The corresponding figure for 2003 is 75. Each year licences expire or are revoked, as well as granted. For completeness, and to give a more accurate idea of the overall amount of licensed work conducted, I should therefore add that there were 559 project licences in force in Scotland at the end of 2002, and 560 at the end of 2003.

Sentencing Guidelines

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether sentencing guidelines recognise assaulting an emergency worker as an aggravating factor in sentencing for assault; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Sentencing Guidelines Council has recently issued for consultation a draft guideline on seriousness and new sentences. The draft guideline states that one of the factors indicating a more than usually serious degree of harm is the location of the offence, for example, where the victim was providing a service to the public. We would like to see this strengthened by including under the aggravating factors where an offence is committed against those working in the public sector or providing a service to the public, in the course of their duties. It is both culpability and harm that determine the seriousness of the offence.

Sentencing Guidelines

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the consultation period on the draft guidelines issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council in September 2004.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 4 November 2004
	The Sentencing Guidelines Council is responsible for setting the consultation period on their draft guidelines. The consultation period for the guidelines issued on 20 September ended on 29 October. Responses were considered at the meeting of the council on Friday 12 November.

Service Personnel (Citizenship Applications)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an applicant for British citizenship serving abroad in the United Kingdom armed forces may be disqualified in their application on the grounds of absence from the United Kingdom.

Des Browne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.

Sex Abuse Investigations

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether prisoners acting as witnesses in an institutional abuse case are eligible to have their evidence video recorded and given as their evidence-in-chief under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Hazel Blears: In criminal proceedings witnesses may be provided with special measures assistance under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 if they satisfy the definition of eligible witnesses contained in sections 16 and 17 of the Act. These provisions operate irrespective of whether or not the witness is in prison. The special measures include provision for the admission of a video recording as evidence in chief of the witness.
	Witnesses eligible for assistance by virtue of section 16 are: children aged under 17 years at the time of the hearing; and other witnesses whose quality of evidence is likely to be diminished by reason of a mental disorder or a learning disability or a physical disability or disorder. Witnesses whose quality of evidence is likely to be diminished because of their fear and distress in connection with testifying are eligible by virtue of section 17. These definitions include complainants and witnesses for the prosecution or the defence but the accused is specifically excluded.
	Video recorded evidence in chief is currently available to all section 16 witnesses in the Crown Court. It is available to child witnesses in sexual offences, offences of violence, threats, abduction, kidnapping and cruelty in magistrates' courts. Other than in a limited number of pilot courts this special measure is not currently available to witnesses who would only be eligible by virtue of section 17.

Sexual Offences

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what measures in the New Deal for Victims and Witnesses reduce the adverse effects of crime on victims and witnesses in sex offence cases;
	(2)  how the New Deal for Witnesses and Victims has improved services for victims and witnesses in sex abuse cases.

Paul Goggins: We are working jointly with the Department of Health on a range of initiatives to improve services and reduce the adverse effects of crime on victims and witnesses in cases involving sexual offending. We are doing so through the National Institute for Mental Health Excellence (NIMHE) Violence and Abuse Programme and as part of our own strategy to support victims of crime. We have committed an additional 4 million over two years to support the development of a broad range of statutory and non-statutory services for male and female victims of all forms of sexual crime, including extension of the network of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs). We are also working alongside the Department of Health on plans to map current service provision and develop consistent service guidelines for work with this group.

Sham Marriages

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new measures his Department has taken to tackle the problem of sham marriages which are entered into by individuals in order to obtain the right to remain in the UK.

Des Browne: The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 included measures to tackle the problem of sham marriages.
	The first measure restricted notification of a marriage by a non-EAA national to certain designated register offices. This will allow the Immigration Service to target its intelligence and enforcement effort on a smaller number of register offices and for registrars to build up experience of handling these notifications.
	They will continue to report their suspicions about possible sham marriages to the Immigration Service.
	The second measure created an eligibility requirement for non-EAA nationals. Registrars will not accept notification of marriage unless the person:
	has an entry clearance granted specifically for marriage in the UK; or
	has written permission of the Secretary of State to marry; or
	falls within a class of persons specified by regulations of the Secretary of State.
	In practical terms, this means a visa for marriage or a certificate of approval from the Home Office.
	These legislative measures are being supplemented by targeted enforcement action against those entering sham marriages. This has led to 26 arrests in September and October this year and charges being made against 19 persons.

Student Visas

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changes in charges to international students for visa extensions; and what data he collects on comparable charges in other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

Des Browne: The Government are currently consulting on options for new charges for a range of non-asylum immigration applications. This includes possible increases in the fee for leave to remain applications payable by international students seeking to remain in the UK.
	The table shows the impact of our proposals on the fee levels for leave to remain applications, upon which we are consulting.
	
		
		
			  Resulting proposed fee  range 
			 Cost recovery model Postal service Premium service 
		
		
			 Current fee 155 250 
			 Administrative costs and overheads only 195230 300345 
			 Recovery of administrative and appeals costs 235270 335390 
			 Recovery of administrative, appeals and partial enforcement costs 285330 390450 
			 Full cost recovery of administrative, appeals and enforcement costs 325380 430495 
		
	
	The consultation document is available at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk and closes on 8 December 2004.
	The Home Office does not collect systematic data on other countries' immigration charges. Earlier this year, the Home Office commissioned research from UCL to look into this. The report, Migration Policies and Trends: International Comparisons, 2004, J. Clarke, J. Hogarth and J. Salt, is available at www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/mru/docs/HO_routes_final.pdf.

Sudbury Prison

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are held in HMP Sudbury; and how many of these are serving a life sentence.

Paul Goggins: The population of Her Majesty's Prison Sudbury was 552 on 30 September 2004. Of these, 89 were life sentence prisoners.

Sudbury Prison

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of recapturing prisoners who absconded (a) from HMP Sudbury and (b) from Her Majesty's prisons was during (i) 2003 and (ii) 2002.

Paul Goggins: This information is not recorded and held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost if at all.

Tamil Tigers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last reviewed the proscription of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam under anti-terrorism legislation; when he next expects to review that proscription; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: The list of proscribed international terrorist organisations that was created in 2001 under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000 is kept under regular review. However, as a matter of policy we do not comment on whether particular organisations are being considered for de-proscription.

Tampere Agenda

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for The Home Department what progress has been made on the Tampere agenda; and what assessment he has made of its effectiveness.

Caroline Flint: The Government believe that significant progress has been made on the Tampere agenda. Many of the key bodies and legislation that provide the framework for practical co-operation are in place. Further effort is required to ensure that they function efficiently and their potential to support member states is maximised. The Government therefore support a new work programme which focuses on practical co-operation, evaluation and monitoring.
	The effectiveness of measures should be evaluated individually. For example, the Dublin agreement and the EURODAC fingerprint database have helped to tackle asylum shopping by returning applicants to EU partners, allowing us to return an average of around 150 per month to other member states during 2004. Co-operation between Europol and member states on serious crime threats has seen success too; an anti-child pornography operation supported by Europol led to the identification of a total of 59 suspects in 2003. The European arrest warrant has simplified court procedures; in 2004 28 people have been arrested in the UK and 16 people abroad have been arrested following UK requests.

Tampere Agenda

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for The Home Department what the Government's policy is on the future of the Tampere agenda.

Caroline Flint: The Government supports the continuation of the Tampere agenda. A new Justice and Home Affairs work programme that consolidates and builds on progress so far is in the UK's interests.
	The Government believes that the new work programme should concentrate on measures that bring tangible benefits to our citizens and add value to member states' efforts. In particular, the Government wants to ensure that measures are fully implemented, properly evaluated and cost effective, and that new proposals remove unnecessary barriers placed in the way of co-operation.

Temporary Staff

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many agency temporary staff have been working for his Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 1 November 2004
	The Home Office does not normally maintain a central record of agency workers. Agency workers are appointed by agreement with individual units within the Department and the recruitment agencies supplying agency workers. However, a one-off exercise was carried out in April 2004 and I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 1544W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell). The information now required for previous years could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Terrorism

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent assessment of the current threat to the UK from terrorists is; and whether an assessment has been made of the impact on the terrorism threat to the UK of involvement in Iraq.

David Blunkett: As I said in my discussion paper Counter-Terrorism Powers: Reconciling Security and Liberty in an Open Society, published in February 2004:
	The main threat to the UK and its interests overseas is international, likely to be of long duration, involving groups of people engaged in long-term planning, using sophisticated new technology, science and communications available to them, skilled in practising deception and evading surveillance, and using multiple stolen or fraudulent identities.
	This threat remains real and serious. Leading members of al Qaeda have in several statements specifically named the United Kingdom and British interests as targets, and encouraged attacks to be carried out against them. International terrorists and supporters of affiliated groups are known to be active in the UK.
	We are maintaining a state of heightened readiness and as I have made clear on a number of occasions we take every feasible precautionary measure to protect British citizens, both here and abroad, consistent with the level of threat.
	I regularly receive intelligence assessments that address the situation in Iraq and its wider impact including the threat to the UK and its interests from international terrorism.
	Information on the threat to the public is available on the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk and the Security Service website: www.mi5.gov.uk

Terrorism

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are used to scrutinise the effectiveness of spending on counter-terrorism.

David Blunkett: Counter-terrorism expenditure and programmes which lie under the ownership of the Home Office are subject to the same internal performance management review regimes as other non-CT programmes in the Home Office.
	Outside of the Home Office a range of official and ministerial committees exist and which include HM Treasury and Cabinet Office representation, for the purpose of ensuring that CT programmes and spending have the appropriate oversight and review.

Terrorism

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the impact of the threat of terrorism on (a) community relations and (b) social cohesion.

David Blunkett: The Government are aware of concerns in all communities about the threat from terrorism to the UK and its interests. In response to these concerns the Government are taking a number of measures to ensure that any tensions affecting particular communities arising from this threat are listened to and dealt with proactively. The Home Secretary has regular meetings with the leaders of faith and ethnic minority communities to discuss their concerns and ensure that they are receiving the support and protection that they need. The Government have progressively strengthened the law against racially and religiously motivated crime, and against racial and religious discrimination and have recently announced their intention to outlaw religious discrimination in the provision of goods and services and to create an offence of incitement to religious hatred.

Tetra

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many TETRA masts are operational; and how many are planned but have yet to be (a) activated and (b) sited.

Caroline Flint: Approximately 2,950 Airwave TETRA masts are commissioned and operational, with another 300 currently under construction. When the network is completed, which is expected to be by March 2005, there will be around 3,300 masts in total.

Traffic Police

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many traffic police there were in the Metropolitan Police Authority in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Published information on police strength by police force area is available for rank, gender, ethnicity but not function. Figures on police Strength for March 2004 were published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 13/04, copies of which are available in the Library or on the internet site: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html

Travel Documents (Prosecutions)

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 8 November 2004, Official Report, columns 46970W, on travel documents (prosecutions) how many of those convicted were sentenced to terms of imprisonment; for what periods; how many of those convicted were fined; what the amount of such fines were; and what proportion have been paid.

Des Browne: holding answer 15 November 2004
	Between 22 September 2004 and 30 October 2004 the 15 convictions under section 2 have been given custodial sentences, averaging four months. The longest sentence has been five months and the shortest three months. None of those convicted have been given fines in addition to the custodial element of the sentence.
	Sentencing is a matter for the courts with the legislation dictating the maximum sentence only. It is open to the court to hand down a custodial sentence, to impose a fine, or both as clearly stated in the legislation

Uninsured Drivers

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of uninsured drivers in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: Official figures are not available, but I understand that estimates by the insurance industry suggest there are 1.2 million people who drive regularly whilst uninsured. Figures on the numbers convicted of driving whilst uninsured are in the table attached.
	
		Findings of guilt at all courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks(51) total offences by persons(52) England and Wales, 1993 to 2002
		
			 Police force area England and Wales: Number of defendants 
		
		
			 1993 177,633 
			 1994 174,183 
			 1995 179,707 
			 1996 169,356 
			 1997 162,559 
			 1998 163,094 
			 1999 160,642 
			 2000 167,140 
			 2001 164,386 
			 2002 179,237 
		
	
	(51) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s1 43(2).
	(52) Excludes companies, local authorities etc. One person may have more than one finding of guilt on the same occasion.

Violent Crime

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the reasons for the recently recorded increase in violent crime; and what steps he will take to reverse the trend.

Hazel Blears: With regard to violent crime, the British Crime Survey (BCS), which is considered to be a more reliable indicator of trends in violence than recorded crime, showed there were six per cent. fewer violent crimes in the 12 months to June 2004 compared with the previous year. Over the longer term, the BCS shows that violent crime has fallen by 26 per cent. between 1997 and 200304.
	It is true that the recorded crime figures recently published showed an increase of 11 per cent. in April-June compared with the equivalent quarter a year earlier. However, it is important to remember that recorded crime data are affected by changes in reporting and recording. With regard to reporting, the BCS estimates that the proportion of violent crimes reported to the police has increased each year since 1999, from 35 per cent. in 1999 to 42 per cent. in 200304.
	The introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 led to an increase in the number of violent offences recorded by the police. An analysis of the impact of NCRS, both nationally and for individual forces, was published in two companion volumes to Crime in England and Wales 200203. Both volumes are available on the Home Office website. The volume covering the national picture is available at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr3103.pdf and the volume covering individual forces is available at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr3203.pdf
	The reports said that the impact for offences of violence against the person was 23 per cent. in 200203 but also said that there was evidence that the effect was continuing and that there would be a further increase irrespective of any real changes in the level of violent crime.
	Data from individual police forces suggests that the data audits following the introduction of the NCRS has encouraged increased recording, particularly for minor violence.
	We are taking many steps to reduce violent crime. We have, for example, taken concerted action against street robbery, focusing on the highest priority areas. We have increased numbers of police officers to deal with all crime and there are a record level of police officers in England and Wales. There were nearly 140,000 as at August 2004an increase of 12,570 since March 1997. There were also 4,094 police community support officers in August 2004. On 31 March 2004 there were 67,597 police (support) staff and 10,988 special constables.
	Low level thuggery is being tackled by measures to reduce alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour. Almost half of violent crime is alcohol-related. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy sets out how we intend to address the problems associated with alcohol, building on the good practice already developed by the police, local authorities and the drinks industry. This summer some 80 local areas have taken part in a campaign focusing on those who sell alcohol to under 18s, bars and clubs who promote irresponsible and rowdy behaviour, and drunken yobs who cause violence on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
	We are following this up with a programme which will help local areas reduce violent crime and improve partnership working at the local level. In the first instance the programme will take place in six police force areas who are already delivering solutions to violent crime; it will begin in November and further areas will join the programme later. We are focusing in the first instance on those areas with the largest proportion of more serious violence.
	Domestic violence and sexual offences, including those against children, are also being tackled. The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill is currently going through Parliament and contains a number of measures which will improve protection offered to victims and sits at the heart of a wide-ranging programme of work. The Sex Offences Act 2003 was implemented on 1 May, including measures to: prevent grooming both on the internet and elsewhere; strengthen the monitoring of registered sex offenders; and modernise laws relating to sexual offending.
	Crime involving firearms is comparatively rare but is nonetheless a cause for concern and we are taking action against it. There are new powers including a five year minimum sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and further restrictions on possession and use of firearms; 1.5 million of confiscated criminals' money is to be put back into the community to tackle gun crime.

Work Permits

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the guidance issued to Work Permits UK regarding the permits for those people wishing to work as care assistants in the UK.

Des Browne: The post of care assistant does not meet the criteria for the issue of a work permit therefore there is no guidance available to publish for the occupation.

Young Offenders Institutions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours, on average, young offenders spend in education each week.

Paul Goggins: Young offenders spend an average of 24 hours a week in education. These figures do not include additional independent learning, for example, through peer support schemes or distance learning.
	The Youth Justice Board's national target is to provide young people in young offender institutions, with 25 hours a week of education, training and personal development by 2005, rising to 30 hours a week by 2006.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Agency Workers

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to improve the (a) employment rights and (b) holiday pay entitlements of agency workers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government believes that all workers, including agency workers, should be treated fairly and have appropriate rights. Agency workers are also protected through the domestic regulation of the conduct of employment agencies, which is backed up by an inspection regime and a helpline. These regulations were completely updated and overhauled this year.
	In relation to holiday pay entitlements, since the working time regulations were introduced in October 1998, all workers, including agency workers, have enjoyed the entitlement to four weeks paid annual leave.
	The paid annual leave provisions were extended further in October 2001, when the entitlement to paid annual leave became available from the first day of employment rather than after 13 weeks continuous service. This opened up paid holiday for the first time to some agency workers, who traditionally did not work for 13 weeks continuously and therefore did not receive holiday pay.

Agency Workers

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to ensure that the UK adopts the proposed EU Directive on Temporary Agency Workers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Directive is currently under negotiation in Brussels and agreement has yet to be reached on a number of outstanding issues. Her Majesty's Government is working with the Dutch Presidency and other member states to try to find a way forward that would allow the Directive to be agreed.

Benefits Payment

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many telephone calls have been made by her Department to benefit recipients encouraging them to receive their benefits through bank accounts; and how much these calls have cost.

Chris Pond: I have been asked to reply.
	Information is not available in the format requested.
	The conversion process normally consists of one or more mailings sent directly to the customer, followed by a phone call if there is no response to the letter(s). If the customers' telephone number is not available then a further letter asking them to contact the Department is issued.
	The Customer Conversion Centre or Pension and benefit paying offices may be involved in contacting customers by telephone to discuss their method of payment.
	Customers are being provided with all the information they need on all of the account options, including which accounts can be used at the Post Office. It will be up to the customers themselves to decide which type of account they wish to have their money paid into.

Bombardier Aerospace

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  whether she plans to assist Bombardier Aerospace with their evaluation into the feasibility of the CSeries commerical aircraft programme; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the (i) direct and (ii) indirect benefits to the UK economy of the Bombardier Aerospace CSeries going into production.

Jacqui Smith: Bombardier Aerospace has submitted an application to the DTI for Launch Investment. Evaluation of that application is commercially confidential and on-going.

Business Angels

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the performance of the National Business Angels Network in providing matching services between start-up and growing enterprises and those who wish to invest in them.

Nigel Griffiths: An external evaluation of the National Business Angels Network took place early in 2003 that examined all aspects of its operation, including its matchmaking activities. It was on the basis of the evaluation's findings that the Department decided not to continue funding this element of the National Business Angels Network's operations.

Business Links

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of business link services in Northampton.

Nigel Griffiths: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 4 November 2004, Official Report, column 356W.

Business Links

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what plans she has to develop regional Business Links
	(2)  if she will give a commitment to maintain Business Links organisations at local levels;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on the future of Business Links.

Nigel Griffiths: The Spending Review 2004 announced that from April 2005, the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England would have responsibility for the management and delivery of Business Link Services in their regions. The RDAs will be required to report on Business Link performance against targets defined by the Business Link National Performance Management Framework, which currently comprise penetration, customer satisfaction, intensive assistance received and gross value added. The budget for Business Link has been maintained at 200405 levels.
	The Government's plans are to have a regionally managed Business Link service. It will be the responsibility of RDAs to determine the extent of locally delivered business support provision within their regions. The Government are committed to the continuation of the Business Link brand as the access brand to business support at national, regional and local level.
	The RDAs and the Small Business Service (SBS) are working together on the application of the Business Link brand across all regions, and through the Business Link Strategy Board are jointly responsible for the management of the Business Link brand.

Business Start-ups

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grants are available from (a) her Department and its agencies and (b) other Government Departments to help with business start-ups in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 4 November 2004
	There are two capital grant schemes available in both Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent.
	The DTI's selective finance for investment (the successor scheme to regional selective assistance) is administered on behalf of the DTI by Advantage West Midlands, the region's Regional Development Agency. The scheme can award grants to existing businesses and start-up businesses which are investing in new plant andjobs, up to a maximum of 15 per cent. of the projects costs. The scheme targets high quality, innovative knowledge based projects that provide skilled jobs.
	While not aimed specifically at Start up businesses the DTI also provides a Grant for Research and Development. This provides grants to help individuals and small and medium-sized businesses research and develop technologically innovative products and processes, and could be used as a precursor to starting a business to manufacture the resulting product.
	Apart from these Grants, there is also considerable subsidised support available to start-up businesses from Business Link Staffordshire, who contract with the County's Enterprise Agencies to deliver this support. This will cover all the issues of Starting a business and also includes subsidised consultancy support under the Mustard programme for those Start ups considered to be High Growth.

Civil Servants

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average length of continuous service for civil servants within the Department is.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister at the Cabinet Office on 3 November 2004, Official Report column 268W.

Coal

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was for metallurgical use; how much was used for power generation; how much metallurgical coal was imported and from where; what volume of coal for power generation was imported and from where; and how much was used for domestic and industrial heating.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 4 November 2004
	In 2003, a total of 62.4 million tonnes of coal was used in the UK.
	The amount of coal used by the iron and steel industry in 2003 was 6.6 million tonnes, of which 5.7 million tonnes 1 was transformed 2 in the coke manufacturing process and 0.9 million tonnes was transformed 2 in blast furnaces. The amount used by the non ferrous industry was 0.1 million tonnes as final use 3 . 53.1 million tonnes was used for power generation.
	1 Included in this figure is the amount of coal used for coke manufacture by companies outside the iron and steel industry ie solid fuel manufacturers.
	2 Coal is used in both transformation and final use. The transformation process changes coal into a secondary commodity which is better suited for specific uses than the original form.
	3 Final use covers consumption of coal that is not transformed into a secondary commodity.
	The table shows the origins of coal imported into the UK. It is not possible to provide country of origin for coal used in the iron and steel and non ferrous metal industries or for power generation. However of total coal used in the iron and steel and non ferrous metal industries, approximately 95 per cent. has been imported and 22.1 million tonnes was imported for use by major power producers.
	
		Total imports of coal in 2003(53)
		
			  Total in tonnes 
		
		
			 European Union (54) 368 
			 Australia 5,665 
			 Canada 839 
			 Colombia 3,397 
			 Indonesia 402 
			 Norway 145 
			 People's Republic of China 209 
			 Poland 1,902 
			 Republic of South Africa 12,193 
			 Russia 5,089 
			 United States of America 1,154 
			 Vietnam 45 
			 Other countries 481 
			 Total all countries 31,891 
		
	
	(53) Country of origin basis
	(54) Includes extra-EU coal routed through the Netherlands
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise within the Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2004.
	In 2003 total coal used in the domestic sector was 0.9 million tonnes and 0.7 million tonnes was used in the industrial sector. There are no official data collected on the proportions of coal used for heating, however recent studies by the Building Research Establishment show that around three quarters of domestic coal consumption is used for space heating. Previous studies have suggested that less than 5 per cent. of industrial use of coal is for space heating purposes.

Departmental Advertising

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department has spent on the recent adverts for the post of Chairman of the Office of Fair Trading.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has spent 45,600 on advertising this important post in a range of national media.
	This compares to recent other public appointments, with a mix of regional and national media, where my department has spent 24,000 to 30,000 per recruitment.

Departmental Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by her Department from (a) May 2001 to April 2002, (b) May 2002 to April 2003, (c) May 2003 to April 2004 and (d) May 2004 to the latest date for which information is available, indicating in each case (i) the values of the contracts and (ii) the companies with which the contracts were placed;
	(2)  which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with (a) her Department and (b) Executive agencies for which she is responsible in each of the past three years.

Patricia Hewitt: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Press Releases

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each month of 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 11 November 2004, Official Report, column 857W.

Departmental Publications

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which her Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department aims to publish documents in hard copy and online simultaneously with the departmental announcement.
	There are no figures collected centrally for the average interval between announcement and either publication or online posting. Such figures could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications (Access)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what proportion of publications issued by her Department are available in (a) braille, (b) autoprint, (c) large print and (d) easy read format.

Patricia Hewitt: Of the 1,322 publications published by my Department between 1 October 2003 and 1 October 2004: three were in braille, three in large print, one in easy read format, and four on audiotape.
	A high proportion of my Department's publications are also placed on the DTI website, which adheres to the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) at Level 1 Priority A.

Departmental Salaries

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in her Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of 57,485 per year.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister at the Cabinet Office on 11 November 2004, Official Report, column 856W.

Disputes Resolution Booklet

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was to her Department of producing, printing and direct mailing to employers its August 2004 booklet New laws for resolving disputes: key information for employers and what the additional cost was of revising, reprinting and remailing to employers the new version of this booklet.

Patricia Hewitt: The total cost of producing, printing and direct mailing the booklets New laws for resolving disputes: key information for employers was 978,455
	
		
		
			  Version I Version II 
		
		
			 Production/Printing 395,570 202,965 
			 Mailing 153,032 226,888 
		
	
	The second version was sent out by first class post which explains the higher mailing costs.

Doorstep Selling

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to improve protection for consumers from doorstep selling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In response to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) market study report my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched a public consultation on doorstep selling and cold calling to inform consideration of possible changes to existing protection for consumers. The consultation ended on 15 November and the results are expected to be published in the new year.

Doorstep Selling

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking in conjunction with the Home Office to tackle rogue doorstep selling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have proposed a cross-departmental ministerial group, including Home Office, to encourage a more joined-up approach to rogue trading practices. Ministerial colleagues take this matter very seriously and will be meeting at the earliest opportunity.

eContent

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the benefits to the UK of the EU eContent programme have been.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has fully supported the eContent programme. Since the inception of the programme in 2001, UK participation has been strong attracting 83 participants amounting to 12 million of Community funding.
	The programme is an important initiative in particularly for the re-use of public sector information, and for showcasing and facilitating information between public sector and private sector bodies at local, national and European level.

Gas Safety

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects the Fundamental Review of Gas Safety Regime, Proposals for Change to be published; and what the original publication date was.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Health and Safety Commission's report Fundamental Review of Gas Safety Regime: Proposals for Change was published on 24 November 2000 as planned.

Manufacturing

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the UK manufacturing sector.

Jacqui Smith: The current outlook for the manufacturing sector in the UK is favourable, despite the weakness of recent official manufacturing data. Periods of falling output are an inevitable feature of a recovery phase and the sector is thought to be on a gradual path to recovery.
	With the Government's Manufacturing Strategythe first for over 30 yearswhich we have developed in partnership with industry, trade unions, and other stakeholders, we are taking a range of actions to create a modern manufacturing sector with a highly skilled, high paid workforce.
	We published a review of the Government's Manufacturing Strategy in July 2004, highlighting what has been achieved since the Strategy was established in 2002. This includes the creation of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) in 2002, which has generated added value of over 85 million for the firms it has helped and the introduction of R and D Tax Credits worth 600 million a year to 4,300 small firms. Details of the review are available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/manufacturing
	We are increasing our focus on manufacturing. The Comprehensive Spending Review delivered an additional l million a year to help develop the Manufacturing Advisory Service further, and a Technology Programme, backed by 320 million over three years to identify and back key technologies in areas critical to the future of UK manufacturing.

Manufacturing Productivity

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to improve manufacturing productivity.

Jacqui Smith: In 2002 we put in place the Manufacturing Strategy, the first by any Government for over 30 years. It is based on raising investment, applying science and innovation, world class best practice and the development of a high level of skills. The strategy has made significant progress in a number of key areas. We have also maintained long-term economic stability allowing individuals and businesses to plan more effectively for the future.
	We have recently completed a review of the Strategy, including an Action Plan identifying the priorities to be taken forward. I will be jointly chairing a new Manufacturing Forum that will be monitoring the delivery of this plan.
	We have also established the Manufacturing Advisory Service , which has made big improvements in the productivity and the overall competitiveness of the companies that it has helped, generating added value of over 85 million for these firms.

Marine Leisure Group

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what public funding will be available to the Marine Leisure Group through the British Marine Federation after 1 January 2006.

Jacqui Smith: DTI offers nine business support products, which have broad applicability and are available to businesses in most sectors. These products provide help businesses are most likely to need assistance: innovation, best practice, raising finance and regional investment. Regional Development Agencies may also provide support for the marine sector, including through current initiatives such as Marine South West by the South West of England Regional Development Agency. International trade and investment support, delivered through UK Trade and Investment, is available to individual businesses in all sectors. No commitments have yet been made for initiatives organised by the British Marine Federation in the marine leisure sector for the period after 1 January 2006.

Miners' Compensation

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners, their widows or families in Newcastle-under-Lyme have (a) made claims for and (b) been paid compensation in respect of (i) chronic bronchitis and emphysema, (ii) vibration white finger and (iii) pneumoconiosis; and how much has been paid out so far.

Nigel Griffiths: The figures for Newcastle-under-Lyne are as follows:
	
		
			  COPD VWF 
		
		
			 Claims received 2,606 791 
			 Number of claimants paid compensation(55) 647 488 
			 Total damages paid ( million) 5 3.4 
		
	
	(55) These figures include interim and full and final payments as of 31 October 2004.
	The figures for Pneumoconiosis under the Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme are only available for the UK and are as follows:
	
		
			  Number/value 
		
		
			 Claims received 88,228 
			 Number of claims settled (56) 80,743 
			 Total damages paid ( million) 188 
		
	
	(56) The figures are from the scheme's inception in October 1974 to the 31 October 2004

Motor Vehicle Technicians

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much motor manufacturers invested in technical training for the UK motor vehicle industry in 2003.

Jacqui Smith: SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for the automotive manufacturing industry estimates the total spend by manufacturers on all types of training of employees in SIC 34 (vehicle manufacturing) to be in excess of 100 million. This figure, which has been derived from the People Skills Scoreboard, is based on both cash and salary costs. Under the method of gathering data, it is not possible to disaggregate technical training from the total. This figure does not include money spent on technical training of employees of franchised dealers working on retail, distribution, servicing and repair of motor vehicles.

National Minimum Wage

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) men and (b) women are estimated to benefit from the national minimum wage in (i) England, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber and (iii) City of York.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The latest low pay data from the ONS shows that 1.1 million people in the UK stood to benefit from the October 2004 uprating of the national minimum wage. The DTI will provide estimates of national minimum wage beneficiaries by region by early December. It is unlikely that figures will be available for the City of York due to small sample size.

National Minimum Wage

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers in Carlisle have benefited from the national minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The latest low pay data from the ONS show that 1.1 million people in the UK stood to benefit from the October 2004 uprating of the National Minimum Wage. The DTI will provide estimates of National Minimum Wage beneficiaries by region by early December. It is unlikely that figures will be available for Carlisle due to small sample size.

Natural Gas

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much natural gas was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was burned in power stations; how much was used for domestic and industrial heating; and what the effect of the latest price increase was on the cost of gas fired electricity generation in pence per kilowatt hour.

Mike O'Brien: In 2003, a total of 1,110 TWh (Terawatt hours) of natural gas was used in the UK, of which 325 TWh was burned in power stations to produce electricity, 386 TWh was consumed for domestic use and 172 TWh was used in industry.
	There are no official data collected on the proportions of gas used for heating, however recent studies by the Building Research Establishment show that an estimated three quarters of domestic natural gas consumption is used for space heating. Previous studies have suggested that around 15 per cent. of industrial use of gas is for space heating purposes.
	The DTI publish data on the average prices of fuels purchased by the major UK power producers in its Quarterly Energy Prices publication. In Quarter 2 2004, the average price of natural gas purchased by the major UK power producers was 0.683p/kWh, 1 per cent. higher than the equivalent period of the year before. By adjusting for the efficiency of combined cycle gas turbine stations, this equates to a cost of approximately 1.2p/kWh for electricity generated from such plants. We expect costs to power producers for electricity to be about 0.2p/kWh higher in Quarter 3, due to increases in the wholesale price of gas.

New Deal (Departmental Recruitment)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many personnel the Department has recruited under the New Deal in each of the past five years.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 28 October 2004
	The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  New Deal appointments 
		
		
			 2000 2 
			 2001 18 
			 2002 5 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 0 
		
	
	Following the outcome of SR2004 and the requirement for my Department to deliver headcount reductions, recruitment to administrative posts has been suspended. My Department will not therefore be making any further appointments to New Deal participants this year.

Nuclear Decommissioning

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the opportunities for (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and (b) UK companies to be involved in the decommissioning of EU Joint Research Centre nuclear installations.

Mike O'Brien: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's powers are limited to its duties as provided for by the Energy Act 2004, which does not provide for the decommissioning and clean up of EU Joint Research Centre (JCR) nuclear installations. The Government would expect UK firms to be able to bid for decommissioning work on JCR nuclear installations when they have reached the end of their operational life.

Nuclear Installations (Safety)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the European Commission Regulation 2002/99 (Euratom) on the application of safeguards to mixed civil and military nuclear facilities comes into force; what assessment she has made of cost implications of the regulation; and what the likely changes in safeguards visits to United Kingdom nuclear installations will arise from application of this regulation.

Nigel Griffiths: I refer to my previous answer given on 6 April 2004, Official Report, column 71W.
	The European Commission has not yet provided a formal date for publication and entry into force of the replacement for Regulation 3227/76which is based on COM (2002/99) Final. Explanatory Memorandum 7549/02 and Supplementary Memorandum 7549/02 refer, which are in the Library of the House.
	The cost implications of the updated requirements of COM (2002/99) Final are as summarised in the Regulatory Impact Assessments which are appended to these UK Explanatory Memoranda.

Operating and Financial Review

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government will require corporations to publish details of transfer pricing policies under its proposals requiring publication of an Operating and Financial Review (OFR); and what the proposed criteria for exemption from production of an OFR are.

Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will be making an announcement shortly about the proposed Operating and Financial Review and which will address these issues.

Orimulsion/Shale Oil

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Orimulsion/shale oil was used in UK power stations in the last year for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 2 November 2004
	No Orimulsion or shale oil was used in UK power stations in 2003.

Post Office

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people she expects to hold post office card accounts in October 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We expect that in excess of 4 million customers will be paid by post office card account by October 2006.

Post Office

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how much of the Government's Post Office Modernisation Fund has been spent in Leicester since the fund was initiated; and how much has been spent (a) to keep post offices open and (b) to encourage closure;
	(2)  how many post offices have closed in Leicester in each year since 1979.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Implementation of the urban post office network reinvention programme is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to respond direct to the hon. Member.

Properties

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the properties occupied by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was.

Patricia Hewitt: The following tables list the areas of the properties for the DTI HQ estate (where the Department has lead responsibility for its buildings) and Agencies, (National Weights and Measures, Insolvency Service, Companies House, Employment Tribunal Service and Patent Office) for 1997 and 2004. I have also shown the aggregate annual rental for 2004 and where available for 1997. No rental figure has been shown for freehold buildings.
	
		Department of Trade and Industry
		
			  Area 1997 (sq m) Area 2004 (sq m) 
		
		
			 1 Victoria Street, London 31,454 31,454 
			 10 Victoria Street, London 7,432 7,432 
			 151 Buckingham Palace Road, London 17,368 17,368 
			 Abbey Orchard Street, London  3,158 
			 Elizabeth House, London  2,848 
			 Kingsgate House, London 14,359 14,359 
			 Oxford House, London 1,560 1,560 
			 Westfield House, London 6,312 7,400 
			 2A Rylands Street, Warrington  294 
			 Building 146, Harwell  700 
			 Atholl House, Aberdeen 5,224 5,224 
			 Tay House, Glasgow 1,869 1,869 
			 Core Store, Edinburgh 4,400 4,400 
			 St Mary's House, Sheffield 1,623 1,623 
			 Queensway House, Billingham  1,330 
			 Bridge Place, London 2,306  
			 Eastcote, Ruislip 3,149  
			 Albany House, London 1,448  
			 Hagley House, 1,226  
			 City House, Leeds 188  
			 Aggregate area 99,918 101,019 
			 Aggregate rent 21,683,888 28,635,024 
		
	
	
		National Weights and Measures Laboratory
		
			  Area 1997 (sq m) Area 2004 (sq m) 
		
		
			 Teddington, London 3,234 3,234 
			 Aggregate area 3,234 3,234 
			 Aggregate rent 239,000 247,000 
		
	
	
		Insolvency Service
		
			  Area 1997 (sq m) Area 2004 (sq m) 
		
		
			 Bloomsbury Street, London 6,925 5,005 
			 Ladywood House, Birmingham 4,356 3,723 
			 Hagley House, Birmingham  398 
			 Newfield House, Blackpool  468 
			 Heliting House, Bournemouth  328 
			 Middle Street, Brighton 603 603 
			 Victoria Street, Bristol  644 
			 Abbeygate House, Cambridge 463 463 
			 Clarkson House, Canterbury 457 457 
			 Companies House, Cardiff  400 
			 Windsor House, Chester  429 
			 Sunley House, Croydon 335 911 
			 Argyle House, Edinburgh 175 175 
			 Ladywell House, Edinburgh  500 
			 Finance House, Exeter 654 654 
			 Northgate Court, Gloucester 313 313 
			 Anchor House, Hull 543 543 
			 St. Clare House, Ipswich 523 523 
			 City Walk, Leeds  1,059 
			 Knightsbridge House, Leicester  430 
			 Cunard Building, Liverpool 798 798 
			 Boulton House, Manchester 911 1,588 
			 Victory House, Chatham  345 
			 Melbourne House, Newcastle  604 
			 Sol House, Northampton  422 
			 Emmanuel House, Norwich 697 697 
			 The Frontage, Nottingham  769 
			 Cobourg House, Plymouth 580 731 
			 King's Wharf, Redding  475 
			 Trident House, St. Albans 656 656 
			 City Plaza, Sheffield 460 492 
			 The Quay, Southampton  505 
			 Central House, Southend  579 
			 St. Marks House, Stockton  325 
			 Copthall House, Newcastle-under-Lyme 359 359 
			 Sun Alliance Building, Swansea 557 358 
			 Exchange House, Watford  784 
			 Leonard House, Birmingham 1,194  
			 Somerset House, Birmingham 1,250  
			 Bristol and West House, Bournemouth 471  
			 Intercity House, Bristol 757  
			 Hayes House, Cardiff 697  
			 Dee Hills Park, Chester 589  
			 35 Queen Street, Leeds 718  
			 Haymarket House, Leicester 542  
			 Westgate House, Newcastle 766  
			 Scottish Life House, Northampton 430  
			 Chaddesden House, Nottingham 585  
			 Friar Street, Reading 725  
			 Gordon House, Rochester 483  
			 Petros House, St. Anne's 660  
			 Western Range, Southampton 704  
			 Tylers House, South End 702  
			 Bayheath House, Stockton 505  
			 Aggregate area 32,143 28,512 
			 Aggregate rent 6,374,936 5,281,892 
		
	
	
		Companies House
		
			  Area 1997 (sq m) Area 2004 (sq m) 
		
		
			 LondonBloomsbury  275 
			 City Road, London 28,000  
			 Woburn Place, London  60 
			 Castle Street, Edinburgh  400 
			 George Street, Edinburgh 3,000  
			 Companies House, Cardiff (Freehold) 28,000 29,000 
			 Axis Building, Nantgarw  4,200 
			 DTI Building, Manchester 200  
			 DTI Building, Leeds 200  
			 Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham100  
			 Aggregate area 59,500 33,935 
			 Aggregate rent n/a 435,722 
		
	
	Note:
	n/a not available.
	
		Employment Tribunal Service
		
			  Area 1997 (sq m) Area 2004 (sq m) 
		
		
			 Atholl House, Aberdeen  359 
			 Ashford House, Ashford  1,017 
			 810 Howard Street, Bedford 694 694 
			 Phoenix House, Birmingham 1,558 2,467 
			 St. James House, Brighton 408 408 
			 Cresent Centre, Bristol 1,346 1,346 
			 Crown Building, Bury St. Edmunds 908 960 
			 Caradog House, Cardiff 961 1,086 
			 Stocklund House, Carlisle 192 192 
			 Montague House, Croydon 2,079 2,079 
			 13 Albert Square, Dundee 212 212 
			 52 Melville Street, Edinburgh 275 275 
			 5456 Melville Street, Edinburgh 643 643 
			 Keble House, Exeter  715 
			 Eagle Building, Glasgow 1,891 1,891 
			 Wilberforce Court, Hull  390 
			 2 Baron Taylor's Street, Inverness 147 147 
			 11 Albion Street, Leeds 1,642 1,642 
			 5a New Walk, Leicester 942 942 
			 Cunard Building, Liverpool  1,493 
			 Audit House, London 2,364 2,364 
			 Woburn Place, London 3,542 3,818 
			 Alexandra House, Manchester 1,856 2,991 
			 Quayside House, Newcastle 1,361 1,361 
			 Elliot House, Norwich  347 
			 Byron House, Nottingham 1,019 1,019 
			 3031 Friar Street, Reading 666 944 
			 East Parade, Sheffield 705 705 
			 St. Mary's House, Sheffield  75 
			 Prospect House, Shrewsbury 671 841 
			 Dukes Keep, Southampton 1,032 1,032 
			 The Broadway, Stratford 1,217 1,825 
			 Christine House, Thornaby  302 
			 Radius House, Watford  1,850 
			 Inverlair House, Aberdeen 356  
			 Tufton House, Ashford 760  
			 Renslade House, Exeter 327  
			 Strand House, Hull 324  
			 1216 Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough 137  
			 Rouen House, Norwich 193  
			 Aggregate Area 31,299 38,432 
			 Aggregate Rent n/a (57)6,055.249 
		
	
	(57) Including VAT.
	Note:
	n/a not available.
	
		Patent Office
		
			  Area 1997 (sq m) Area 2004 (sq m) 
		
		
			 Concept House, Newport (Freehold) 15,589 15,589 
			 Government Building, Newport 3,544 1,849 
			 Harmsworth House, London  4,411 
			 Southampton Buildings, London 1,324  
			 Nine Mile Point, Newport 4.854 4.854 
			 Aggregate area 25,311 26,703 
			 Aggregate rent 549,334 665,060

Regional Selective Assistance

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of regional selective assistance grants to companies in (a) Tyne and Wear and (b) the North East in the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: In the last five years to 31 March 2004, offers of Regional Selective Assistance have been accepted in the North East to the value of 183.9 million and are expected to create 15,430 new jobs and safeguard 12,743. The value of offers accepted for Tyne and Wear is 123.8 million and the estimated jobs figures are 7,747 new and 7,952 safeguarded.

Research

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what commitment has been made to the funding of basic research in the physical sciences at UK universities.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 3 November 2004
	The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) supports basic research in these areas. Almost all of EPSRC's investment is via the university sector. Its total research grant commitment in 200304 was 378 million.

Small Business Sector

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the small business sector.

Nigel Griffiths: Small businesses make a vital contribution to the health of the UK economy and to diversity of opportunity in our society. There are an estimated 4 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. Together they account for 99.8 per cent. of UK businesses and over half of private sector turnover. They employ 12.6 million people, 58 per cent. of the private sector workforce.
	Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 465,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in 2003, a 19 per cent. increase on the year before. A further 288,000 business started up in England and Wales in the first six months of 2004. This represents an increase of 23 per cent. on the first six months of 2003, and the highest level since the Barclays survey began in 1988.

Tsar Appointments

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many 'tsars' have been appointed with responsibilities which cover part of the work of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: None.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Asbestos

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many primary schools in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland have been identified as having classrooms and other public areas containing asbestos; and what steps he is taking to ensure it is removed.

Barry Gardiner: The table shows the number of primary schools in each Board area where asbestos in classrooms and other public areas has been identified to date. The programme of surveys has yet to be completed in Belfast, North Eastern and South Eastern Education and Library Boards. The Boards should have completed their asbestos management plans by 21 May 2004.
	
		
			  Primary schools 
			 Board BELB WELB NEELB SEELB SELB 
		
		
			 Number of schools where asbestos has been identified. 63 101 29 79 150 
			 Number of schools that still have to be surveyed. 29 0 159 5 0 
		
	
	All Boards have to put in place asbestos management arrangements to ensure compliance with the Control of Asbestos at Work regulations. These arrangements include the setting up of an asbestos register and carrying out surveys at all Board properties. The Department of Education made 4.5 million available in 200304 and 3.8 million available to Boards in the 200405 financial year towards the cost of surveys, preparatory works, removal, decontamination work or repair/remedial work identified.

Chief Executives (Health/Education)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) salary levels, (b) expenses and (c) pension entitlements are in 2004 for the chief executives of each (i) health and social services trust and (ii) education and library board in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: The most up to date information available is in respect of the 200304 financial year. No decision has yet been made on 200405 pay settlements for either group. Details of salaries, pension entitlements and expenses, where permission has been given for these to be published, are set out in the following tables.
	
		Health trusts200304 -- 
		
			 Trust Salary Accrued pension at 31 March 2004 Travel Subsistence 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin Hospital 80,300  1,633 
			 Armagh and Dungannon 86,112 36,848 0 0 
			 Belfast City Hospital 100,597 45,268 1,670 
			 Causeway 81,251 29,108 3,598 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge (58) (58) (58) (58) 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital 92,396 35,126 267 
			 Down Lisburn 91,295 34,804 282 0 
			 Foyle Community 88,656 29,453 2,095 116 
			 Green Park (59) (59) (59) (59) 
			 Homefirst Community (59) (59) (59) (59) 
			 Mater Hospital 73,095 15,935 660 
			 Newry and Mourne 85,137 33,588 2,480 
			 NI Ambulance Service (58) (58) (58) (58) 
			 North and West Belfast 102,303 41,558 226 0 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals 104,854 36,109 (60) (60) 
			 South and East Belfast 82,600 28,839 1,268 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 86,749 33,136 1,357 273 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals. 83,477 26,692 1,201 
			 United Hospitals 85,968 27,489 1,249 0 
		
	
	(58) Consent to disclose details withheld-now retired.
	(59) Consent to disclose details withheld.
	(60) Not available within time scale.
	
		Education and library boards200304 financial year -- 
		
			  Salary Accrued pension at 31 March 2004 Travel and subsistence expenses 
		
		
			 BELB (61) (61) (61) 
			 NEELB 94,821 35,071 1,089 
			 SEELB 89,492 30,850 2,054 
			 SELB 84,333 31,815 (62)0 
			 WELB (63)92,679 44,238 3,377 
		
	
	(61) Consent to disclose details not secured.
	(62) The chief executive of SELB does not claim travel and subsistence but has chosen to bear the cost herself.
	(63) Retired on 31 March 2004.

Advisory Committee for Business Appointments

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases have been formally referred by Northern Ireland Government Departments to the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments in each of the last eight years.

Ian Pearson: A total of seven cases were formally referred by the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office to the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments during this period. Four applications were referred in 199798 and three in 199899.

Civil Servants

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of continuous service for civil servants within the Department is.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Civil Servants

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the cases in the last five years in which senior civil servants of grade three and above have sought permission to accept private sector work post-retirement; what procedures were used to assess these applications; and what restrictions were placed on the private sector work.

Ian Pearson: In the period 19992004 (to date), 28 applications were received from retired civil servants at Grade 3 and above and restrictions were imposed in respect of 10 of those applications. The restrictions included waiting periods from the date of retirement before taking up employment, and conditions on business contacts with Government Departments for a limited period.
	Those applications were assessed in accordance with the rules on outside appointments as contained in the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code. The rules require that applications from retired officers to take up employment within two years of retirement, be considered by Departments, with possible reference to the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments. That arrangement with the Committee ended with the establishment of devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, and it is intended to establish a local Northern Ireland Committee. Pending the establishment of such a Committee, we seek to ensure that our decisions on applications are consistent with the principles followed by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments in applying the rules.
	The procedures used to assess post-retirement applications to undertake employment involve ensuring, in the first place, that members of staff are aware of the rules relating to the taking up of post-retirement employment. Applications are subject to a close scrutiny which takes into account such factors as the relationship of prospective employers to the Government and the relationship, if any, retired officers may have had with prospective employers.

Civil Service

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil service posts there are in each Department, agency and non-departmental public body in Northern Ireland; what the planned number of posts in each is for (a) 31 March 2005, (b) 31 March 2006, (c) 31 March 2007 and (d) 31 March 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Staffing levels in the Northern Ireland Office, including agencies and NDPBs, at 31 March 2004, are set out in Table A. The Northern Ireland Office plans to reduce its total number of posts by 771 (net) by 31 March 2008. A breakdown of the areas affected is available on the NIO website and detailed in the Efficiency Technical Note.
	Staffing levels for the 11 Departments of the NI Administration, including agencies, at 31 March 2004 are set out in Table B. The Government plans to reduce its total number of posts by 2,300 by 31 March 2008. This will be spread across all grades, including the senior civil service.
	A further 2,600 reductions will result from the creation of the Water Service GoCo and Agri-Food Biosciences Institute. In addition, further reductions may be made from reform initiatives, including the outsourcing of particular corporate services. Further details are set out in the Fit for Purpose document, which can be accessed on the website at www.pfgbudgetni.gov.uk.
	The detailed breakdown of posts and the profile for the reductions by Department and agency will not be available in advance of the publication of the Final Budget, planned for December.
	Information relating to the number of civil service posts in NDPBs that are sponsored by the 11 Departments of the NI Administration is more difficult to define and quantify given the diverse range and functions they undertake across Northern Ireland. Such information could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	
		Table A: NIO staff in post (including agencies and NDPBs) at 31 March 2004
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 NIO Core 727 
			 Forensic Science NI 137 
			 Youth Justice Agency 294 
			 Compensation Agency 121 
			 NI Prison Service 2,024 
			 Legal bodies (Public Prosecution Service NI and Crown Solicitors Office) 340 
			 Other bodies 626 
			 PSNI 12,578 
			 Total 16,847 
		
	
	
		Table B: NICS staff in post by Department and agency at 31March 2004
		
			  Department/agency Number 
		
		
			 DARD Core Department 3,379 
			  Rivers Agency 443 
			  Forest Service 346 
			 DCAL Core Department 192 
			  Public Records Office (PRO) 92 
			  Ordnance Survey (OSNI) 159 
			 DE Core Department 644 
			 DETI Core Department 734 
			 DFP Core Department 1,570 
			  Land Register NI 226 
			  Rates Collection Agency (RCA) 294 
			  Valuation and Lands Agency (VLA) 311 
			  NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) 357 
			  Business Development Service (BDS) 230 
			 DEL Core Department 1,793 
			 DHSSPS Core Department 918 
			  NI Health and Social Services Agency 133 
			 DOE Core Department 219 
			  Environment and Heritage Service 603 
			  Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (DVTA) 468 
			  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency NI (DVLNI) 497 
			  Planning Service 688 
			 DRD Core Department 555 
			  Water Service 2,094 
			  Road Service 2,347 
			 DSD Core Department 653 
			  Child Support Agency (CSA) 1,661 
			  Social Security Agency (SSA) 6,152 
			 OFMDFM Core Department 399 
			 Total  28,157

Civil Service Recruitment

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were recruited through the competition conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. on behalf of the Department of Finance and Personnel in each year since 2001; and how many of those people were not previously members of the civil service.

Ian Pearson: I have assumed that the hon. Member is referring to the Staff Officer Graduate competition run by the Northern Ireland Civil Service each year. The table gives the number of graduates recruited through that competition in each year since 2001, and how many of those recruited were not members of the Civil Service at the time of application.
	
		
			  Number of graduates recruited via staff officer graduate competition Number recruited who were not members of the civil service at the time of application 
		
		
			 2001 47 38 
			 2002 44 36 
			 2003 96 83 
			 2004 (64) 43 35 
		
	
	(64) as at 11 November 2004

Consultants

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how much each Government Department in Northern Ireland has paid to consultancy firms in each year since 1998;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on external consultants in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Pearson: The following table details the expenditure by the 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office since April 2000 (excluding Agencies and non-departmental public bodies). Information prior to this date is not readily available due to the restructuring of the departments in 1999.
	
		
			 Departments 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 DARD 425,000 1,040,000 851,000 1,799,000 
			 DCAL 1,010,379 653,245 525,576 504,334 
			 DE 877,174 179,734 657,954 774,893 
			 DEL 649,769 913,342 411,635 383,762 
			 DETI 644,000 2,099,000 1,814,000 2,209,000 
			 DHSSPS 1,631,695 1,077,183 869,385 682,170 
			 DOE 9,000 133,500 402,426 482,071 
			 DRD 654,000 639,000 352,000 1,037,000 
			 DSD 166,000 1,223,000 1,809,000 1,985,000 
			 OFMDFM 335,347 263,780 823,460 1,277,374 
			 DFP 1,303,721 2,062,533 1,664,398 2,533,049 
			 NIO 210,876 834,652 2,421,395 2,170,315

Consultants

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The following outlines the expenditure by the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland administration and the Northern Ireland Office excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
	
		
			  2002031 200304 
		
		
			 External management consultants(66) 4,211,048 4,853,689 
			 External human resources consultants(67) 504,180 1,428,848 
		
	
	(65) The figures for 200203 exclude figures for the Department of Education for Northern Ireland, as these are not held centrally. Details will be forwarded to the Member as soon as they are available.
	(66) Defined as management advisory consultancy work relating to policy appraisal and review, strategic management, organisational development and performance measurement.
	(67) Defined as human resources consultancy work relating to training needs analysis, assessment centre development, IIP advisory.

Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which previously held contracts with his Department (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Department in each of the past four years;
	(2)  which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies for which he is responsible in each of the past three years.

Ian Pearson: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the environmental impact on the Crumlin River from its source to Lough Neagh of the proximity of asbestos storage and destruction at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin.

Angela Smith: No specific assessment of the impact of the Crossbill Quarry site on the Crumlin River has been undertaken as the quality of the discharge from the quarry site has complied with all the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) consent standards which have been set to ensure that the discharge does not have a negative impact on the watercourse. In addition, the results from routine river water quality monitoring indicate no adverse trends in water quality. Monitoring, undertaken by the Water Management Unit of EHS, has shown that over the last five years the Crumlin River has complied with the Freshwater Fish Directive (FFD) which is designed to ensure that waters are of sufficient quality to protect fish life.
	Chemical quality throughout the Crumlin River catchment has been Fairly Good to Good, with no definite trends discernible from the classifications. Biological quality throughout the catchment has ranged between Fairly Good and Very Good, with the upper reaches of the Crumlin River and its tributaries tending to be of slightly better quality than the lower reaches of the river.
	EHS recently collected a sample of the discharge from the quarry to be checked for the presence of asbestos. No asbestos was detected in the sample.
	The following table (Crumlin River System) sets out FFD compliance and General Quality Assessment (GQA) chemical and biological classifications for the most recent five years available.
	
		
			  Crumlin River at Cidercourt Bridge Crumlin River at Airport Road Bridge Crumlin River at Thompsons' Bridge Dundesert River at Dundesert Gospel Hall Cooper's Water at Boomer's Bridge 
		
		
			 Irish grid ref J135766 J192767 J225765 J169775 J216757 
			 Type of station Primary Primary Secondary Minor Minor 
			 FFD designation Salmonid Salmonid Salmonid Not designated Not designated 
			 FFD 1999 Pass Pass n/a n/a n/a 
			 FFD 2000 Pass Pass n/a n/a n/a 
			 FFD 2001 Pass Pass n/a n/a n/a 
			 FFD 2002 Pass Pass n/a n/a n/a 
			 FFD 2003 Pass Pass n/a n/a n/a 
			 GQA chem. 199799 B B n/a n/a n/a 
			 GQA chem. 19982000 B C n/a n/a n/a 
			 GQA chem. 19992001 B C n/a n/a n/a 
			 GQA chem. 200002 C C n/a n/a n/a 
			 GQA chem. 200103 C C n/a n/a C 
			 GQA biol. 1999 C (1) B (1) A (3) B (1) A (1) 
			 GQA biol. 2000 B (3) B (3) A (2) A (1) B (1) 
			 GQA biol. 2001 C (1) C (1) D (1) B (1) C (1) 
			 GQA biol. 2002 C (3) C (3) A (1) B (3) B (3) 
			 GQA biol. 2003 C (3) C (3) B (2) B (1) B (1) 
		
	
	Station type:
	Primary = larger river
	Secondary = smaller river more than 3 m wide
	Minor = 1.5 to 3 m wide
	Chem./biol. classification:
	A = very good quality
	B = good quality
	C = fairly good quality
	D = poor quality
	E = bad quality
	Notes:
	1. FFD compliance is recorded only for designated rivers. Dundesert River and Cooper's Water are not designated. Crumlin River at Thompson's Bridge was only designated in December 2003.
	2. GQA chemical classification requires three years' data. Crumlin River at Thompson's Br. was chemically monitored for the first time at the start of 2003, so its first GQA classification was end of 2003.
	3. Dundesert River is not chemically monitored.
	4. Chemical classification is based on results for rolling three-year periods.
	5. Biological classification is based on results for individual years.
	6. Number in brackets beside biological classification indicates number of seasons during which biological monitoring was undertaken.

Department of Education

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the underspend for the Department of Education was for the year 200304; and whether there is a projected underspend for the same Department for 200405.

Barry Gardiner: The proportion of the Department of Education budget unspent at the end of the 200304 financial year was 3.3 per cent. (provisional). Under approved End-Year Flexibility arrangements, sums unspent on capital investment, Executive Programme Funds and education and library board resource are carried forward for use in a subsequent year and are thus not lost to education. Carry over relates mainly to (a) education and library board resource, principally to facilitate the operation, under Local Management of Schools (LMS) arrangements, of schools' delegated budgets and (b) capital investment, in particular to take account of the rephasing of expenditure on existing projects.
	Given the responsibility of the Department to live within its approved annual budget and the End-Year Flexibility arrangements described above, some underspend is expected in 200405.

Departmental Advertising Costs

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of (a) creative work, (b) media spend and (c) administration for his Department's advertising activity has been in each financial year since 199798, broken down by contractor.

Paul Murphy: The information requested by the hon. Member could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications (Accessibility)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of publications issued by his Department are available in (a) braille, (b) autoprint, (c) large print and (d) easy read format.

Paul Murphy: Northern Ireland Departmental Equality Schemes recognise the need to ensure equality of opportunity in accessing information. This includes the need for access by people with sensory and learning disabilities, many of whom may have particular difficulties with information in print.
	All the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office therefore make their publications available in alternative formats, including braille, large print and easy read format, on request. It is not possible to give significant proportional figures for each document published as uptake of the service has been very low, at the level of one or two copies of a document requested occasionally from some departments.
	Due to the resource implications of producing information in alternative formats and the very low uptake, it is normal policy that such documents are produced only on request. In cases where the need for an alternative format is identified as necessary by virtue of the subject matter and target audience, the format may be produced at the same time as the standard document

Education and Library Boards

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are being taken to address the overspend within the Belfast and South Eastern education and library boards' budgets; and if he will make it his policy that the budget allocations of the other education and library boards will not be cut in order to fund these overspends.

Barry Gardiner: The hon. Member will be aware that I have announced a Statutory Inquiry into the overspends in both Boards. While this moves forward, my focus remains on ensuring that both Boards are taking action to contain spending in the current financial year within the budgetary limits voted by Parliament. I have now received containment plans from both Boards setting out the actions they would need to take to keep within budget and am examining these carefully to assess the impact that the proposed actions are likely to have and the scope there might be to minimise any impact on front-line services.
	I will not cut the existing budgets of other Boards in any way: that would not be fair to those Boards that are already making difficult decisions to ensure that they stay within their budgets. However, it is clear that any additional support I might be able to identify to give support to Belfast and the South- Eastern Board areas will be money that will not now be available to supplement other Boards' budgets.

Education and Library Boards

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many education and library board buses there are in Northern Ireland; and how many such buses are not fitted with seat belts, broken down by education and library board area.

Barry Gardiner: Details of the education and library board bus fleets, including vehicles without seatbelts fitted, are as follows:
	
		
			 Board No. of buses in Fleet No. of buses with no seatbelts fitted 
		
		
			 BELB 73 0 
			 NEELB 98 16 
			 SEELB 97 7 
			 SELB 172 86 
			 WELB 261 152 
			 Total 701 261 
		
	
	In September 2002 new regulations came into effect requiring seat belts to be fitted to all new coaches, minibuses and other non-urban buses. Accordingly, all new education and library board buses purchased since that date have seatbelts fitted as standard. All ELB buses continue to meet legislative requirements, whether pre-or post-September 2002, and are maintained to a higher standard than the minimum requirement.

Education and Library Boards

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of education and library board buses do not have seat belts fitted, broken down by board.

Barry Gardiner: Details of the Education and Library Board bus fleets, including the percentage of vehicles without seatbelts fitted are as follows:
	
		
			 Board No. of buses in fleet Percentage without seatbelts fitted 
		
		
			 BELB 73 0 
			 NEELB 98 16 
			 SEELB 97 7 
			 SELB 172 50 
			 WELB 261 58 
			 Total 701 37 
		
	
	In September 2002 new regulations came into effect requiring seat belts to be fitted to all new coaches, minibuses and other non-urban buses. Accordingly, all new Education and Library Board buses purchased since that date have seatbelts fitted as standard. All Board buses continue to meet legislative requirements, whether pre- or post-September 2002, and are maintained to a higher standard than the minimum requirement.

Education and Library Boards

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are being taken to address the overspend within the South Eastern education and library board.

Barry Gardiner: The hon. Lady will be aware that I have announced a Statutory Inquiry into the overspends in both boards. While this moves forward, my focus remains on ensuring that both boards are taking action to contain spending in the current financial year within the budgetary limits voted by Parliament. I have now received containment plans from both boards setting out the actions they would need to take to keep within budget and am examining these carefully to assess the impact that the proposed actions are likely to have and the scope there might be to minimise any impact on front-line services.

Education Initiatives

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to produce proposals to tackle under-achievement in education in (a) Greater Shankill and (b) North Belfast.

Barry Gardiner: The Department of Education's School Improvement Programme is already helping schools serving North Belfast and Greater Shankill to tackle low and under achievement. Some 3.1 million has been made available from the Programme in the last two years to support schools serving these areas. Also, the Intensive Support Programme for Interface Schools is making available a total of some 2.3 million over the three financial years from 200405. A revised bid is being constructed in an effort to obtain funding from the Integrated Development Fund to help tackle further educational underachievement in schools these areas and the new Education Action Zones initiative will also complement existing programmes.
	The Essential Skills for Living Strategy provides adults in all areas of Northern Ireland with the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy skills to a level which enables them to function and progress in society in general.
	There are a number of initiatives currently operating in North Belfast and Greater Shankill, including 15 projects funded under Peace II, to improve the levels of Essential Skills in these areas. The Department is also operating a pilot scheme with Shankill Jobs and Benefits office where Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants are screened for Essential Skills needs.
	In addition, Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education and East Antrim Institute of Further and Higher Education administer a number of outcentres in these areas which provide Essential Skills courses.

Expenditure and Staffing Costs

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the overall budget for Northern Ireland is represented by the expenditure and staffing costs of each (a) Government Department, (b) agency, (c) non-departmental public body, (d) health trust, (e) education and library board, (f) district council, (g) tribunal and (h) North-South implementation body that operates in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: A table showing the above information, based on planned expenditure within the NI departmental expenditure Limit (DEL) for 200405, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Harbour Commission

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the membership of the Harbour Commission; and what consultation process was followed prior to the recent appointments.

John Spellar: There is no Harbour Commission in Northern Ireland. Most recently, the Department appointed commissioners to the board of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority on 1 October 2004. The membership of the authority is as follows:
	Mr. J. R. Stewart, Chairman,
	Mr. Q. Goldie, OBE,
	Ms M. Andrews,
	Mr. K. Campbell,
	Mr. P. Conway,
	Mr. K. Hobbs,
	Mr. G McGivern,
	Mr. W Mullen,
	Captain S. Pollock,
	Councillor M. Carr,
	Councillor M. Ruane,
	Councillor A. Williamson.
	In appointing harbour commissioners, the Department follows the guidelines on public appointments issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments and, in accordance with their Code of Practice, the Department consulted the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority and Newry and Mourne district council.

Housing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2004, Official Report, column 243W, how much of the house sales proceeds were returned to (a) the Exchequer and (b) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

John Spellar: None of the surplus proceeds from house sales are returned to the Exchequer but go back into the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund for redistribution within the Northern Ireland Block. All of the proceeds retained by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive are used to support its approved capital programmes.
	The total amount of the house sales proceeds returned to the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund/retained by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was as follows:
	
		 million
		
			  Proceeds returned to the NI Consolidated Fund Proceeds retained by NIHE 
		
		
			 19992000  70.1 
			 200001 16.5 78.8 
			 200102 6.8 92.7 
			 200203 35.0 107.8 
			 200304 36.0 102.2

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what qualifications the managers on duty during the two escapes by young offenders from the Juvenile Justice Centre had; whether those managers were on the premises at the time; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 22 June 2004, Official Report, column 1334W.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at what times during the week young offenders have contact with teaching staff at the Juvenile Justice Centre.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised that young people have 20 hours contact time in a classroom setting each week and four hours informal contact in their house units. Normal school hours apply Monday to Friday.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recommendations were made for improving security at the Juvenile Justice Centre following the escapes by young offenders; and whether they have been carried out.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that a number of security recommendations were made following the escapes last December. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to list those in this respect. All recommendations have been appropriately addressed with the exception of one recommendation in respect of which work is on-going and due to be completed shortly.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who has responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Juvenile Justice Centre in the absence of the Director of Custody; and what (a) qualifications and (b) training each person has to enable them to carry out this role.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that aspects of the day to day running for the JJCNI can be delegated by the Director to a number of senior managers. The Director of the Juvenile Justice Centre and Duty Manager are on call outside of normal office hours. All managers on duty have a number of skills, competencies and experience to carry out their roles effectively.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what qualifications the on-call managers at the Juvenile Justice Centre are required to have; and by whom these qualifications are assessed.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that all managers on duty have a number of skills, competencies and experience to carry out their roles effectively.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what post-assault support is available to staff at the Juvenile Justice Centre; what records are kept; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that staff members who are involved in violence and potential violence at the Juvenile Justice Centre are given support on any incident through their Line Manager, other senior managers and members of the medical team where appropriate. In addition staff members are encouraged to contact Staff Care Services who provide a confidential counseling service. Records are kept on incidents, however the support given to staff by Staff Care Services is confidential to those members of staff.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who has ultimate responsibility to impose lock-up on young offenders at the Juvenile Justice Centre; what records are kept; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 22 June 2004 Official Report, column 1334W. Lock up is not a term recognised within the Juvenile Justice System. In addition the Director of the Juvenile Justice Centre has been invited to take part in a United Kingdom review on the use of restraint methods and will be meeting with colleagues across the UK to undertake this task.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) pre-job and (b) on-the-job management training is available to staff at the Juvenile Justice Centre.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that the Youth Justice Agency has developed a corporate training strategy for all staff including managers and has commenced a series of management training courses.

Neutral Working Environments

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been made about breaches of a neutral working environment in Government Departments in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: To answer this question, and in line with NICS equal opportunities policy, a neutral working environment has been defined as:
	a good and harmonious working environment and atmosphere, free of bullying, in which no person feels under threat or intimidated because of his or her religious belief, political opinion, gender, age, marital status, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability or whether or not they have dependants.
	The figures below show the number of complaints of that nature, formally made under departmental procedures and via the Office of Industrial Tribunals or Fair Employment Tribunal.
	
		
			  Number of complaints 
		
		
			 1997 90 
			 1998 93 
			 1999 90 
			 2000 117 
			 2001 116 
			 2002 92 
			 2003 95 
			 2004 61 
		
	
	The figures above include the 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and their agencies and the Northern Ireland Office. Some departments have not been able to supply data over the full period, 1997 to 2004, due to the re-organisation following devolution and departmental policies on the retention of papers.

North Coast and Glens Masterplan

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what stage of implementation the Masterplan for the North Coast and Glens has reached; what the reasons are for the delay in the design competition for the Visitors Centre at the Causeway; and what the timetable is for the new build visitor facilities at the Giants Causeway.

Barry Gardiner: The Causeway Coast and Glens Tourism Masterplan was published in April 2004. It is a 10-year plan which sets out over 95 recommendations for action involving the public and private sectors. Some 90 per cent. of the actions have already been progressed; and a project manager has recently been appointed by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to take forward the implementation of the Masterplan as a whole.
	The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has secured the approval of the Union of International Architects to the brief for the planned international competition for the design of the proposed new visitor facilities at the Giant's Causeway and is currently in the process of appointing an international jury. Before launching the competition however the Department is keen to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding with all interested parties, including Moyle district council and the National Trust, to ensure a successful outcome in terms of the implementation of the winning design.
	Allowing for the preparation of detailed drawings, planning and other approvals, tendering and construction, the current timetable envisages the new facilities being completed by late spring/early Summer 2007.

Nurseries

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to lift the moratorium on the provision of additional (a) nursery units and (b) nursery schools in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: At present there are some 2,000 children not in their immediate pre-school year receiving funded pre-school education in nursery schools and units in Northern Ireland. The Review of Pre-School Education consulted on how this issue might be addressed and until the outcome of the Review is known, there are no plans to lift the moratorium on the provision of additional nursery schools and units.

Nurseries

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the number of full-time pre-school places at (a) nursery units and (b) nursery schools in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: A decision on whether the number of full-time pre-school places at nursery schools and units in Northern Ireland should be increased must await the outcome of the current Review of Pre-School Education in Northern Ireland.

School Transport

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government has to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment on the Department of Education's Circular 1996/41 Home to School Transport.

Barry Gardiner: The Department's consideration of a full equality impact assessment (EqlA) of the current Home to School Transport arrangements has been delayed because of the ongoing in-depth policy review on this matter. It would not represent an efficient use of resources to commence a full EqlA on the present system, at a time when the current review is considering whether an alternative policy should be pursued. Any future policy changes will of course be subjected to rigorous equality testing.
	A recent court judgement on school transport concluded that the current arrangements complied with equality requirements.

Schools Improvement Programme

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which areas of the curriculum the Schools Improvement Programme has targeted under-achievement in socially deprived inner city areas in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: The School Improvement Programme, launched in 1998, includes a wide range of measures aimed at supporting all schools in making the improvements they themselves have identified. In curricular terms, the programme has focused on improving literacy and numeracy through a comprehensive in-service training and support programme for all schools delivered by bespoke curriculum support staff employed by the education and library boards. However, it also includes a specific initiative (the School Support Programme) aimed at tackling low and underachievement, particularly in areas of social need such as inner city areas. This involves financial and professional support for targeted schools, normally addressing areas such as the quality of teaching and learning, school leadership, and school development planning and target-setting. The schools themselves are closely involved in determining their own priority areas for development, and they often choose to address organisational areas for improvement through focusing more intensively on raising standards of literacy and numeracy.

Torrens Estate

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Office has taken to implement security for residents of the Torrens Estate in each year since 2001; and how much money was allocated by the Office on permanent protection measures in each year since 2001, with particular reference to walls and fences in the Torrens Estate

Ian Pearson: Since 2001 the Northern Ireland Office has when required enhanced and repaired the brick wall, palisade fencing and steel cladded pedestrian gates which make up the physical security measures at the Torrens estate. The approximate costs for security work at the Torrens estate from 20012004 is listed as follows:
	
		
			  (000) 
		
		
			 2001 2,000 
			 2002 25,000 
			 2003 4,000 
			 2004 750

University Places

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to lift the cap on university places in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: Since 19992000 the Maximum Student Number (MaSN) cap has been raised to allow for 2,560 more full-time home and European Union undergraduate at Queen's University and the University of Ulster.
	My department keeps the situation under constant review but at present there are no plans to remove the cap.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos Removal Companies

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many licensed asbestos removal companies are operating within the United Kingdom.

Jane Kennedy: There are currently 694 asbestos licence holders. The number refers to asbestos removal operators licensed by the Health and Safety Executive. They vary in size between small to medium-sized companies, partnerships and sole traders. All parts of the country are covered.

Basic State Pension

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the change in the basic state pension rise has been since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) on 4 November 2004, Official Report, column 428W.

Benefit Entitlement (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are being paid the jobseeker's allowance in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Chris Pond: As at May 2004, there were approximately 800 people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in the parliamentary constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
	Notes:
	1. The figure is based on 5 per cent. samples and is therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Figures show claimants in receipt of benefit and exclude nil benefit (credit only) cases.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.

Benefit Entitlement (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners over 70 years have received the 100 payment for help with the council tax in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Malcolm Wicks: It is not possible to say how many pensioners over 70 years have received the 100 payment as data for 200405 is not yet available. The One-off 70+ Payment is being paid in most cases with the winter fuel payment. In winter 200304 there were 10,660 pensioners aged 70 or over in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency who received a winter fuel payment. We would expect a similar number to receive the One-off 70+ Payment this winter.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	3. Figures taken from the Matching, Intelligence, and Data Analysis Service. As only one additional 100 amount is available per household, not all of these pensioners will have received an additional 100. For example, in households with two pensioners aged 70 years or over, they will each receive an additional 50.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 percent sample.

Benefit Entitlement (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have received cold weather payments in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Chris Pond: The information requested is not available by constituency.

Benefit Entitlement (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have received free TV licences in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each year since they were introduced.

Malcolm Wicks: The information on the numbers of households in receipt of free TV licences is not available by constituency. The number of households with at least one resident aged 75 or over in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency in each year since 200203 is in the table. Each of these households would therefore be eligible for a free TV licence. Household information relating to earlier years is not available.
	
		
			  Households with someone aged 75 or over 
		
		
			 200203 5,565 
			 200304 5,640 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Winter fuel payment data 200203 and 200304.
	3. Any residence found to have four or more occupants aged 60 and over is not included in the household figures as it is assumed to be RCNH (residential care/nursing home).
	4. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Benefit Entitlement (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Newcastle-under-Lyme have received the Sure Start maternity grant in each year since its introduction.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.
	
		Sure Start Maternity Grants awards 
		
			  Number of awards 
		
		
			 Staffordshire Social Fund District 
			 19992000 0 
			 200001 2,498 
			 200102 3,024 
			 200203 to October 2,221 
			 Staffordshire Jobcentre Plus District 
			 200203 from November 1,648 
			 200304 4,199 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Sure Start Maternity Grants were introduced on 27 March 2000.
	2. Data is not available by Parliamentary Constituency, but only by District.
	3. Newcastle-under-Lyme Parliamentary Constituency used to be part of Staffordshire Social Fund District and is now part of Staffordshire Jobcentre Plus District. The latter was formed in November 2002 from Staffordshire Social Fund District and part of Derwent and Trent Social Fund District. The table above therefore refers to different areas, so the data is not comparable.
	4. Data is given for all awards, irrespective of whether the award was made to the mother or her partner.
	Source:
	DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Benefit Entitlement (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received the (a) carers' allowance and (b) invalids allowance in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Such information as is available is in the table. Carer's Allowance was called Invalid Care Allowance until April 2003.
	Recipients of Carer's Allowance in Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			 Date Numbers 
		
		
			 September 2001 725 
			 September 2002 755 
			 August 2003 905 
			 May 2004 1,040 
		
	
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre 100 per cent. count.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	There is no Parliamentary constituency data prior to September 2001.

Benefit Payments

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will reform rules for housing and council tax benefit to exclude receipts of pension credit in the calculation of entitlement to these benefits; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such reform.

Chris Pond: We have no current plans to reform rules for housing and council tax benefit to exclude receipts of pension credit in the calculation of entitlement to these benefits.
	For people who are in receipt of the guarantee element, or both the guarantee and savings credit elements of pension credit, all of their income and capital is disregarded when their entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit is calculated. This includes pension credit itself.
	For those in receipt of the savings credit element only, this is taken into account as income when entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit is calculated. However in October 2003, when pension credit was introduced, we raised the applicable amounts in both housing benefit and council tax benefit to reflect the maximum savings credit a person could get, irrespective of whether or not they are actually in receipt of the savings credit. This ensures that people do not see the extra money they get completely clawed back when housing benefit and council tax benefit are readjusted following the award of the savings credit.
	To disregard the savings credit element from housing benefit and council tax benefit would cost 90 million a year.

Benefit Payments

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each ward of the Rhondda claim (a) disability living allowance and (b) winter fuel payments.

Maria Eagle: The number of people in each ward in Rhondda who received Disability Living Allowance and Winter Fuel Payments is in the table.
	
		
			 Ward Name DLA Winter Fuel Payment 
		
		
			 Cwm Clydach 340 675 
			 Cymmer 635 1,175 
			 Ferndale 440 960 
			 Llwyn-y-pia 295 510 
			 Maerdy 495 740 
			 Pentre 500 1,240 
			 Pen-y-graig 705 1,185 
			 Perth 565 1,215 
			 Tonypandy 350 805 
			 Trealaw 500 875 
			 Treherbert 620 1,415 
			 Treorchy 690 1,880 
			 Tylorstown 605 955 
			 Ynyshir 370 815 
			 Ystrad 600 1,350 
		
	
	Notes :
	1. All benefit counts have been rounded to a multiple of 5.
	2. Disability Living Allowance data is the latest currently available, August 2003.
	3. Winter Fuel Payment data is the latest currently available, winter 200304.
	4. Disability Living Allowance can be claimed by any person regardless of age, provided they became disabled and claim before their 65th birthday. Therefore this figure will include children.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre

Benefit Payments

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what targets have been set for his Department for the number and percentage of benefit claimants who will transfer to direct payment of benefits; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library copies of (a) administrative and (b) operational (i) instructions and (ii) targets issued to his Department's staff regarding the transfer of benefit claims to direct payments.

Chris Pond: holding answer 21 October 2004
	With regard to the conversion of customers to Direct Payment the Department has a published Public Service Agreement target that by 2005, 85 per cent. of customers will have their benefits paid by Direct Payment.
	The conversion process itself from order books and girocheques to payments directly into an account, started in April 2003 and involves contacting approximately 14 million customers.
	To achieve the target customers are being provided with all the information they need on all of their account options, including which accounts can be used at Post Office branches. It will be up to the customers themselves to decide which type of account they wish to have their money paid into.
	Independent research commissioned by DWP shows that 82 per cent. of customers found the process of opening an account to be easy and 93 per cent. were happy once they had transferred to Direct Payment.
	Key figures on the progress of conversion to Direct Payment are available in the Library and these are updated every four weeks. In addition a Direct Payment Customer Call Centre script and operational guidance is already available in Library.

Books (Reading Disabilities)

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the Government will convene a task force to formulate a national plan to increase the proportion of book titles made accessible to people with reading disabilities.

Maria Eagle: The Government are committed to improving opportunities for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, to participate more fully in society. To this end we have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people and will achieve further improvements through measures in the Draft Disability Discrimination Bill.
	In addition to these measures, the Government are developing and implementing policies to assist visually impaired people to have improved access to reading materials. For example, the Department for Trade and Industry is currently working with The Publishers Association in conjunction with the Royal National Institute of the Blind, the National Library for the Blind and the Copyright Licensing Agency, to develop a pilot scheme to make texts available electronically to visually impaired people's organisations via a central repository. We have no plans to convene a task force to formulate a national plan to increase the proportion of titles made accessible to visually impaired people.

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many change requests have been made by Ministers in relation to the CS2 computer system; and on what dates those change requests were issued.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Paul Goodman, dated 17 November 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many change requests have been made by Ministers in relation to the CS2 computer system and on what dates those change requests were issued.
	Change requests are made by the Agency not Ministers. The process for notifying EDS of any elements of the system that do not fully enable us to meet the original policy requirements involves making a request for change'this does not necessarily mean that a change to the underlying requirement has taken place. The change is commonly a defect discovered during testing or live operation. Since December 2002 we have agreed with EDS that 55 items constitute a change from the original requirement.

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons were for each change request made by Ministers in relation to the CS2 computer system.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Paul Goodman, dated 16 November 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons were for each change request made by Ministers in relation to the CS2 computer system.
	The change requests are all things that provide real business benefits. They improve the degree of support that the system provides to our staff and to our service customers. A copy of the annex for the current list of agreed change requests has been placed in the Library.

Child Support Agency

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 28 October 2004, Official Report, columns 5557WS, on the new child support scheme progress report, what time has been invested in extra training following the Child Support Agency (CSA) decision to prioritise activity on compliance; in how many cases payments are being made under the new child support scheme; what percentage this represents of the estimated cases eligible for treatment under the new child support scheme; on how many occasions EDS has been in breach of its contractual obligations to the Government with respect to the CSA contract; on how many occasions EDS has triggered contractual penalty clauses; and what total amount is due in terms of the same.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Ms Annabelle Ewing, dated 17 November 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 28th October Official Report columns 5557WS on the new child support scheme progress report what time has been invested in extra training following the Child Support Agency (CSA) decision to prioritise activity on compliance; in how many cases payments are being made under the new child support scheme and what percentage this represents of the estimated cases eligible for treatment under the new child support scheme; on how many occasions EDS has been in breach of its contractual obligations to the Government with respect to the CSA contract; and on how many occasions EDS has triggered contractual penalty clauses and what total amount is due in terms of the same.
	The headings below provide a summary of your questions.
	Training:
	To date new training has been delivered to 1,110 front-line staff. This equates to 9,239 training days. Residual training for a further 271 staff (absorbing 2,041 training days) is planned for the next quarter.
	Payments made under the new scheme':
	In September 2004 around 53,000 cases had payments made on them. This includes 6,000 cases in which the parent with care and non-resident parent have made their own arrangements for payment. This represents 57% of those cases on which maintenance was due (including those cases in which maintenance was paid direct) or 54% of those cases (where maintenance direct was excluded).
	EDS contract:
	Rather than penalty clauses, the CSR contract sets out the obligations required of EDS and the actions that the Department may take if these obligations are breached. Where EDS performance is unsatisfactory, the Department is entitled to remedies, via the contract, based on a pre-estimate of business impact. Between 3rd March 2003 and 19th September 2004, EDS were paid 62.08 million in service charges. In that period the Agency retained 12.1 million because of the system's performance problems.
	Ultimately, the Department has further legal rights under the contract. However, as part of an ongoing programme of remediation, EDS has made a number of improvements to the CSR IT system. Rather than simply considering potential contract remedies, the Department has continued to work with EDS aiming to ensure that IT services match business needs. The impact on the contract is subject to continuing commercial discussions.

Child Support Agency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what circumstances the Child Support Agency may act as a creditor when a company has become insolvent and is holding deductions of earnings from an employee which should have been forwarded to the Agency.

Chris Pond: Where a non-resident parent has had money deducted from earnings but the employer has not paid it to the Child Support Agency, those monies remain part of the non-resident parent's wages until the Agency receives them.

Civil Service Job Losses

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the number of civil service jobs that will be lost in his Department in (a) Yorkshire, (b) Leeds and (c) Leeds North West as a result of his Department's reorganisation.

Maria Eagle: Detailed operational and staffing plans continue to be developed. It is therefore too early to say what the precise effect will be on the number of departmental jobs in Yorkshire or Leeds.

Departmental Salaries

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of 57,485 per year.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 11 November 2004, Official Report, vol. 426, column 856W.
	In addition to the figures quoted in that reply, 58 members of staff in Jobcentre Plus earn in excess of the whole-time equivalent salary of 57,485 per year.

Disabled Workers

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures have been introduced to improve the working rights and conditions of disabled people in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Since 1997, the Government have increased the nature and scope of the protection from discrimination afforded by the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and it has improved financial support for disabled people in work.
	In April 2000 we established the Disability Rights Commission which monitors, advises on, and can assist in the enforcement of rights under, the DDA.
	The small-employer threshold below which an employer had no duties under the employment provisions of the DDA was reduced from 20 to 15 employees in December 1998, and on 1 October 2004 was abolished completely. The abolition of the threshold brought 7 million further jobs within the protection of the DDA.
	A range of further enhancements to the protection provided by the employment provisions of the DDA also came into effect from 1 October 2004. Previously exempted occupations, including police officers, fire fighters, prison officers, workers on ships, hovercraft and aircraft, barristers and partners in business partnerships are now covered. Other changes have specifically outlawed harassment because of disability, and ensured that direct discrimination can no longer be justified. Duties were also extended to cover qualifications bodies and people undertaking practical work experience.
	Access to Work provides practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability. Since 199798 there have been year on year increases in both the numbers helped and the programme spend. In 200304 we helped around 35,000 people, with a total spend of 56 million.
	Since April 2003, financial support has been available to disabled people in work through the working tax credit. This is available if a person is working an average of at least 16 hours per week (self-employed or for an employer) and has a disability which puts them at a disadvantage in getting a job. 80,000 families benefit from the disability element of the credit.
	The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and its Executive (HSE) have continued to work to improve levels of protection from risks to health, safety and welfare at work for all people, including those who are disabled. It has done so by enforcing a framework of regulations that:
	require employers access and sensible manage health and safety risks arising from work activities;
	take account of the capabilities of their employees when allocating them to particular duties.
	Although not aimed specifically at disabled people, HSE has extended the range of sources of advice on compliance with these requirements through such measures as its publications, its Infoline and through visits to, and targeted inspections of, workplaces including those in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area.

Free Television Licences

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of providing free television licences to pensioner households was in 200304.

Estelle Morris: I have been asked to reply.
	Free television licences are available only to people aged 75 or over. The cost of providing free television licences in 200304 was 408 million.

Health and Safety Executive

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what strategic changes are occurring in the Health and Safety Executive; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: In February 2004 the Health and Safety Commission launched a new strategy A strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond. A copy is available in the Library
	The Health and Safety Executive have set out how they intend to take forward the strategy in their 200405 business plan. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new incapacity benefit claimants in each year since 1997 were (a) claiming statutory sick pay, (b) claiming unemployment benefits and (c) were self-employed.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
	
		Commencements of Incapacity Benefit (IB), and Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) claims.
		
			 Period All IB/SDA Statutory sick pay prior IB/SDA claim Unemployed prior to IB/SDA claim Self-employed prior to IB/SDA claim 
		
		
			 April 1997 March 1998 893,700 132,000 400,100 99,400 
			 April 1998 March 1999 753,800 110,900 404,000 102,900 
			 April 1999 March 2000 717,700 111,200 386,600 96,300 
			 Apr 2000 March 2001 756,000 133,600 387,300 98,700 
			 April 2001 March 2002 698,200 118,700 379,000 84,600 
			 June 2002 May 2003 722,300 n/a 424,400 82,300 
			 June 2003 May 2004 666,200 n/a 399,700 74,200 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. SSP information is not available from 5 per cent. sampling, and therefore not available from June 2002.
	3. Figures from June 2002 have been updated to include late notified commencements and may be subject to further change.
	4. Figures for the latest quarter do not include any late notifications and are subject to major changes in future quarters (For illustration purposes, total commencements for May 2003 increased by 19 per cent. in the year following their initial release)
	5. SDA is not available to new claimants from 6 April 2001. From this point, disabled people, whose period of incapacity begins before the age of 20 (or 25 if in education or training before the age of 20), may be able to receive incapacity benefit without having to satisfy the national insurance contribution conditions. Existing recipients can continue to receive the benefit for as long as they satisfy the conditions of entitlement for the benefit.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 1 per cent. samples to 31 Mar 2002 and 5 per cent. samples thereafter.

Income Support

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have been in receipt of income support in each year since 2001; and how many of these have attended work-focused interviews in each year.

Chris Pond: Work-focused interviews are conducted nationally for all lone parents making a new or repeat claim to income support. Additionally, work-focused interviews for existing customers are being rolled out gradually between April 2001 and October 2005.
	Information on the number of lone parents on income support and the total number of work-focused interviews attended in each year since 2001 up to the end of July 2004 is in the table.
	
		
			  Lone parents on income support Lone parent work-focused interviews 
		
		
			 2001 888,400 86,000 
			 2002 856,300 228,000 
			 2003 847,300 469,000 
			 2004 809,800 370,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Lone parent income support figures are based on 5 per cent. samples and are therefore subject to sampling variation.
	2. Lone parent income support figures are provided at May each year and have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Lone parents are defined as single parents aged under 60 and not in receipt of a disability premium.
	4. Lone parent work-focused interview figures are based on the information on the Jobcentre Plus labour market system.
	5. Lone parent work-focused interview figures for 2004 are up to and including July.
	Source:
	Lone Parent Income Support: IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample
	Lone Parent Work Focused Interview: Family and Disability Analysis Division, Jobcentre and New Deal for Lone Parents Evaluation Databases

Jobcentres

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of Jobcentres proposed for closure have been kept open following consultation.

Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Paul Holmes, dated 17 November 2004
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what percentage of Jobcentres proposed for closure have been kept open following consultation. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide the information you have requested. It may be helpful if I explain that the process of sharing early plans with local stakeholders means our service delivery arrangements may change several times until we have a robust service delivery plan which meets the needs of the local community. Even after this plan has been approved and shared with stakeholders it is subject to change as the district progresses through a period of detailed design. District managers will keep local stakeholders informed of changes where they occur.
	Consultation is an integral part of the planning process for rollout, and we consult very widely and listen carefully to all comments and views we receive.
	Of course, we will not be able to satisfy the demands of each and every stakeholder, but my district managers are happy to meet with local people to discuss how decisions have been arrived at.
	I understand that you have visited the Jobcentre Plus office in Chesterfield, but if you would find a further visit to see the new Jobcentre Plus service at first hand useful I would be happy to set this up for you. The new technology and process we are introducing enables customers to conduct more of their business with us by telephone and Internet. When they need to visit one of our offices it will usually be by appointment, with personal advisers tailoring the service to meet their needs.
	We are also able to deliver some of our services from other locations, perhaps using partners' premises for advice and information sessions or locating a touch-screen Jobpoint in community premises, as part of an overall plan for delivering services in the area. We are pleased to be able to enhance the service we offer in this way where it is appropriate.
	Our aim is to introduce a radically improved service for all of our customers to give them the best opportunity of finding work and to pay the benefits they are entitled to correctly and promptly.

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment.

Maria Eagle: The information for the period requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on primary legislation enacted since 1997 for which the Department for Work and Pensions is responsible the provisions of which are not yet in force or not fully in force is as follows:
	Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997 (c.47)
	Section 3 (not fully in force)
	Sections 22 and 23 (not in force)
	Social Security Act 1998 (c.14)
	Sections 1, 2, 4, 8 to 30, 33, 36 to 39, 45 to 47, 74 and 86 and Schedules 2 to 5 and 7 and 8 (not fully in force)
	Sections 35 and 67 (not in force)
	Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) Act 1999(c.2)
	Sections 1,18 and 26 and Schedules 1, 2, 7 and 10 (not fully in force)
	Disability Rights Commission Act 1999 (c.17)
	Section 14(2) and Schedule 5 (not fully in force)
	Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c.30)
	Section 25 (not in force)
	Section 88 and Schedule 13 (not fully in force)
	Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (c.19)
	Sections 1 to 10, 12, 18 to 23, 25, 26, 49, 52, 54, 56, 62 to 66, 68, 73 and 85 and Schedules 1 to 3, 5, 7, and 9 (not fully in force)
	Sections 28 and 43 to 46 (not in force).

Means-testing (Pensions)

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made, with regard to the three schemes for phasing out means testing for pensions set out in the recent White Paper on pensions, of (a) the inflationary effects of each of the schemes, (b) the total cost of each of the measures in each scheme, (c) the administrative savings to be achieved under each scheme and (d) the number of pensioners who would be affected adversely under each scheme (i) ignoring income erosion caused by inflation and (ii) after factoring in erosion caused by inflation.

Malcolm Wicks: Our policy is to keep the State Pension as the foundation for income in retirement and to give additional help through Pension Credit to the poorest pensioners. set out any schemes to replace the current arrangements but have instead asked the Pensions Commission to look at and report on pensions. We will respond to any recommendations made in the report, which is expected in the autumn of next year, in the usual way.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioners benefited from the minimum income guarantee in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each year it was in effect;
	(2)  how many pensioners have received pension credit in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each year since it was introduced.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is given in the two tables.
	
		Table 1: Minimum income guarantee recipients,Newcastle-under-Lyme, 19992003
		
			 Date Households Individuals 
		
		
			 May 1999 2,300 2,600 
			 November 1999 2,300 2,600 
			 November 2000 2,200 2,700 
			 November 2001 2,500 3,000 
			 November 2002 2,500 3,000 
			 October 2003 2,600 3,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures from May 1999 to November 2002 are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Individual recipients include claimants and partners only and may contain a small number of partners aged under 60.
	4. Minimum income guarantee was introduced in April 1999.
	5. The October figures relate to 3 October. Minimum income guarantee was replaced by pension credit from 6 October 2003.
	
		Table 2: Pension credit recipients, Newcastle-under-Lyme, 200304
		
			 Date Households Individuals 
		
		
			 October 2003 2,775 3,200 
			 December 2003 3,170 3,755 
			 September 2004 4,120 4,960 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Figures relate to the end of the month.
	3. Pension credit replaced minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003.
	4. The figures for September 2004 are the latest available.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of individuals in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) the UK have found permanent employment as a result of the New Deal for (i) the long-term unemployed over 25, (ii) lone parents, (iii) disabled people and (iv) the over 50s in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: Information is provided for Great Britain rather than the UK as the Department for Work and Pensions New Deal Evaluation Databases do not hold information for Northern Ireland.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		New Deal 25 plus in Great Britain
		
			 Great Britain Number into jobs Number into sustained jobs Percentage into sustained jobs 
		
		
			 July2001June 2002 39,150 30,920 79 
			 July 2002June 2003 42,130 31,580 75 
			 July 2003June 2004 40,990 30,770 75 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. For the purposes of New Deal 25 plus, employment is regarded as sustained if no new claim is made for jobseeker's allowance within 13 weeks of leaving New Deal.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	3. Percentages have been calculated from unrounded figures.
	Source:
	DWP Information and Analysis Directorate
	
		New Deal 25 plus in Buckinghamshire
		
			 Buckinghamshire Number into jobs Number into sustained jobs Percentage into sustained jobs 
		
		
			 July2001-June 2002 130 100 76 
			 July 2002-June 2003 130 100 79 
			 July 2003-June 2004 200 140 71 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data is for the following Buckinghamshire constituencies: Aylesbury, Buckingham, Chesham and Amersham, Milton Keynes South West, North East Milton Keynes and Wycombe.
	2. For the purposes of New Deal 25 plus, employment is regarded as sustained if no new claim is made for jobseeker's allowance within 13 weeks of leaving New Deal.
	3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	4. Percentages have been calculated from unrounded figures.
	Source:
	DWP Information and Analysis Directorate
	
		New Deal for disabled people in Great Britain
		
			 Great Britain Number into jobs Number into sustained jobs Percentage into sustained jobs 
		
		
			 July2001-June 2002 4,540 2,870 63 
			 July 2002-June 2003 11,780 7,000 59 
			 July 2003-March 2004 12,450 6,980 56 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information is not available at constituency level for New Deal for disabled people.
	2. For the purposes of New Deal for disabled people, a job is regarded as sustained when a person, placed into work through a job broker, remains in work for 13 out of 39 weeks. Prior to October 2003, an NDDP job was regarded as sustained when a person, placed into work through a job broker, remained in work for 26 out of 39 weeks.
	3. Data is up to March 2004 rather than June 2004 as 13 weeks has to be allowed for jobs to become sustained.
	4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	5. Percentages have been calculated from unrounded figures.
	Source:
	DWP Information and Analysis Directorate
	
		New Deal for lone parentsindividuals into jobs
		
			 Period Great Britain Buckinghamshire 
		
		
			 July 2001-June 2002 51,520 210 
			 July 2002-June 2003 55,880 150 
			 July 2003-June 2004 63,640 290 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. There is no current measure of sustainability for New Deal for lone parents. Figures provided are for the numbers of individuals into jobs.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	DWP Information and Analysis Directorate
	
		New Deal for 50 plusindividuals into jobs
		
			 Period Great Britain Buckinghamshire 
		
		
			 July 2001-June 2002 33,190 100 
			 July 2002-March 2003 22,730 100 
			 April 2003-June 2003 6,830  
			 July 2003-June 2004 22,620  
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data is for the following Buckinghamshire constituencies: Aylesbury, Buckingham, Chesham and Amersham, Milton Keynes South West, North East Milton Keynes and Wycombe.
	2. A measure of sustainability is not available for New Deal 50 plus.
	3. Figures up to the end of March 2003 relate to the number of individual starts to the New Deal 50 Plus employment credit.
	4. Figures provided from April 2003-June 2004 relate to the number of recorded job entries through the New Deal 50 plus programme.
	5. Information is not available at constituency level after March 2003.
	6. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	DWP Information and Analysis Directorate

New Deal

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have gained work through the New Deal for Lone Parents in (a) Selby constituency and (b) North Yorkshire.

Jane Kennedy: 340 lone parents in the Selby constituency, and 2,930 lone parents in the Jobcentre Plus district of North Yorkshire, have gained work through the New Deal for Lone Parents since the start of the programme in October 1998.

Pension Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each parliamentary constituency are entitled to pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: A report is available in the Library giving pension credit information to 30 September. It includes tables showing the number of households in each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain in receipt of pension credit.

Pension Credit

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in West Derbyshire (a) are receiving pension credit, (b) are entitled to pension credit but not yet claiming it, (c) are receiving pension savings credit, (d) are entitled to pension savings credit but not yet claiming it, (e) received free eye tests in the last year for which figures are available, (f) received free TV licences in the last year for which figures are available and (g) will be entitled to winter fuel payment (i) at the standard rate and (ii) at the higher rate for older pensioners in 200304; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people likely to be eligible for pension credit or the savings element of pension credit is not available at constituency level. At 30 September 2004, 3,405 households in the West Derbyshire constituency were receiving pension credit, of whom 2,760 were receiving the savings element.
	In winter 200304, the number of households in the West Derbyshire constituency with at least one resident aged 75 or over is 6,235. Each of these households would be eligible for a free TV licence.
	In winter 200304, 22,220 people in the West Derbyshire constituency received a winter fuel payment. Of these, 4,650 were aged 80 or over and entitled to the higher rate. We expect the numbers to be similar for winter 200405.
	Matters relating to free eye tests are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Health.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Winter fuel payment data are for winter 200304
	3. Any residence found to have four or more occupants aged 60 and over is not included in the total household figure as it is assumed to be RCNH (Residential Care/Nursing Home).

Pension Credit

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates have yet to apply through the pension credit scheme in (a) West Derbyshire, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK and what efforts are being made to simplify the pension credit process to make it easier for pensioners to claim their entitlement.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the form requested, but we estimate that approximately 250,000 pensioner households in the East Midlands region, corresponding to approximately 350,000 individuals, and approximately 3.75 million pensioner households in Great Britain, corresponding to approximately 4.85 million individuals, are likely to be eligible for pension credit in 200405. The following table gives the numbers of pensioner households and individuals in West Derbyshire, the East Midlands Government Office Region (GOR) and Great Britain receiving pension credit at 30 September 2004.
	The application process for pension credit has been designed to be straightforward for pensioners and their family and friends, who may apply on their behalf. The pension credit application line (freephone 0800 991234), which is the main method of applying, is working well and at the end of September had taken around 4.66 million calls since it became operational on 7 April 2003. The pension service is able to offer alternative ways of applying to suit individual circumstances. We have made minor improvements to the application process in the light of experience and will continue to do so, although there are no current plans for a fundamental review.
	
		Pension credit recipients, 30 September 2004
		
			  Households Individuals 
		
		
			 Great Britain 2,621,945 3,184,680 
			 East Midlands GOR 188,595 232,030 
			 West Derbyshire parliamentary Constituency 3,405 4,065 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60

Pension Credit

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Wansbeck constituency (a) are entitled to and (b) claim pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people likely to be eligible for pension credit is not available at constituency level. However, we estimate that approximately 200,000 households in the North East Government Office Region (GOR), corresponding to approximately 300,000 individuals (rounded to the nearest 50,000), are likely to be eligible for pension credit in 200405. Information on the number of pension credit recipients in the North East GOR and in Wansbeck at the end of September is given in the table.
	
		Pension credit recipients, 30 September 2004
		
			  Households Individuals 
		
		
			 North East GOR 154,650 189,605 
			 Wansbeck 4,180 4,965 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five
	2. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60

Pension Credit

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the indexation of pension credit on (a) the level of savings by low income individuals and (b) incentives to save.

Malcolm Wicks: We have given an undertaking to uprate pension credit in line with earnings during this Parliament, ensuring that poorer pensioners share in rising national prosperity.
	There are many factors which are likely to influence incentives to save. Pension credit ensures that anyone who has saved above the basic state pension level will be better off than if they had not.

Pension Credit

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women are not claiming the pension credit to which they are entitled.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people who are eligible for pension credit but not receiving it is not yet available. At 30 September, approximately 2,117,030 women in Great Britain were receiving pension credit, either individually or as part of a couple.

Pensioner Poverty

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress the Department has made in tackling pensioner poverty since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: We have taken many steps to tackle pensioner poverty, including the introduction of pension credit and winter fuel payments, and since 2000, there has been a 7 per cent. real rise in the level of the Basic State Pension. As a result, of these measures during 200405 we will be spending nearly 10 billion more on pensioners, including 5 billion more on the poorest third.
	Recent analysis has shown our overall strategy to tackle pensioner poverty is succeeding. The Household Below Average Income figures shows pensioner poverty has fallen by two thirds in absolute terms between 199607 and 200203 thereby lifting 1.8 million older people out of absolute poverty of which 1.3 million are women.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Royal Mail, following the introduction of the new daily delivery time target, on ensuring that pensioners who are reliant on carers to cash their cheques on particular days receive their pension cheques in time for the carer to visit the post office to claim the money; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: Cheques will be issued to the customer's home address allowing sufficient time for the cheque to reach the customer by the day that payment is due.
	It is still an option with Direct Payment for someone to collect a customer's benefit or pension for them. The precise arrangements for people who need help collecting their money will depend on the type of account they have and with which account provider.
	With the post office card account, customers are able to obtain a second card, with a separate PIN, for a person of their choice to access their account.
	However, accounts that offer chequebooks or building society passbooks provide more flexibility and may be more suitable than a card-based account for customers who rely on someone to collect their benefit or pension.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of issuing a single pension cheque to a pensioner, in replacement of the order book; what the unit cost would be if cheques were issued in batches of four; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: Most pensioners are now converting from order book to payment direct to an account. When this is not possible the use of payment by cheque will be used. The switch for pensioners from order books to cheques will take place between January and March 2005. The average cost of a cheque is dependent upon the number of cheques issued. It is forecast that the average cost of a cheque after March 2005 will be in the order of 1.35 per cheque.
	It is not intended to issue cheques in batches since this would replicate a number of the costly and insecure features of the order book process related to fraud and recall of payments.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Hendon have (a) converted to direct payment, (b) opted for direct payment on the first award of their pension, (c) opted for a Post Office Card Account and (d) have not converted to direct payments and (i) remain in receipt of pensions from their current order books and (ii) have started to receive pensions by cheque payments; of (c) how many have yet to have a Post Office Card Account opened; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the precise format requested. However as at September 2004 the number of pensioners in the Hendon parliamentary constituency who are being paid by Direct Payment is 12,695, of which 650 are being paid into a Post Office card account. The number of accounts which have yet to convert to Direct Payment is 4,685, of which 4,585 are currently being paid by Order Book.
	Notes:
	(a) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
	(b) Details refer to accounts not customers.
	(c) Child Benefit and War Pensions are no longer the responsibility of DWP and are not included in the figures.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how quickly a visit from a pension service visiting officer will be made in the event of a pension cheque not arriving to its intended recipient on time and severe hardship ensuing.

Malcolm Wicks: Procedures are in place to ensure that, where a cheque is late or goes missing, the customer receives a replacement payment as soon as can be arranged. The action to be taken will depend on the individual customer's needs and circumstances and might involve a home visit if that is the most appropriate solution. Our aim is to ensure as far as possible that a customer does not suffer hardship. The arrangements are under review.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension service outreach visits have been made to (a) pensioner groups and (b) individual pensioners in Hendon; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Information is not available in the format requested. However figures can be provided from April 2004 to October 2004 and is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 The Pension Service Barnet Local Service Cluster (which covers the constituency of Hendon April October 2004 
		
		
			 Number of home visits 1,971 
			 Number of customers seen at Local Service  Information Points 774 
			 Number of outreach events 23 
			 Number of customers seen at outreach events 497 
		
	
	Source:
	The Pension Service Local Service System version 6
	The term Information Points will now be used instead of Surgeries to better describe the outreach services for our customers as Local Service moves towards supporting partners in running these activities.
	Details of Local Service Information Points can be obtained by telephoning the single lo call access number for The Pension Service 0845 60 60 265 or by visiting The Pension Service website www.thepensionservice.gsi.gov.uk. Locally, details of Local Service Information Points are often available in libraries, GP surgeries and advertised in the local press and radio.

Pensioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which pension service local clusters have been withdrawn; and what alternative arrangements are in place.

Malcolm Wicks: Reclustering was a series of boundary changes to facilitate the delivery of a more efficient service to our customers. The principal rationale behind reclustering was the need for local service to become better aligned with its key local authority partners, and to streamline its management structures to ensure that as many local service resources as possible are focused on front line service delivery. This process involved some local service clusters merging with others but none were withdrawn. As a percentage of the overall staffing for The Pension Service, the numbers for local service will proportionately make up a larger percentage of the overall organisation.
	Customers can expect to receive the same level of service and our ability to work in partnership with local authorities and the voluntary sector has not changed. Our customers will continue to contact the pension centres in the normal way through the 0845 6060265 number and should have no knowledge that the Local Service cluster may have changed. If there were changes that would affect the level of service to the customer, a communication would be issued to the customer and all key stakeholders such as hon. Members.

Permitted Work Regulations

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the independent evaluation he has commissioned of (a) the impact of the Permitted Work Regulations relating to incapacity benefit and (b) the impact on those who have not made the transition to work for more than 16 hours.

Maria Eagle: The permitted work rules are an integral part of the Government's plans for reform of the benefit system. They are in line with our policy of helping people with health conditions and disabilities to focus on what they can do rather than what they cannot do. The rules are currently being evaluated by independent researchers. A report on the first two phases of the evaluation has been completed and is due for publication on 14 December. The findings will be used to help inform the continuing development of our policy.

Retired People (Benefit Take-up)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people over retirement age who live in the London borough of Wandsworth who are not claiming the benefits to which they are entitled.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.
	Estimates of the number of pensioners eligible to but not receiving income-related benefits are available on a national basis only. Statistics for 200102the latest year for which information is availableare contained in the DWP report: Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up in 200102. Copies of the publication can be found in the Library.

Staff Reductions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimates he has made of the (a) pension and (b) redundancy costs associated with the targets set by Sir Peter Gershon for reductions in the number of staff in his Department and its associated agencies.

Maria Eagle: The Department has yet to complete planning for the full programme of staff reductions to 2008 and therefore costs of the total reductions are not available. It is not possible at this stage to estimate what proportion of the staff reductions will be as a result of redundancies but the Department is committed to achieving staffing reductions by redeployment or voluntary means wherever possible.
	The cost of staff reductions will be met from within the departmental allocations set out in the Spending Review 2004 White Paper, including allocations from the Efficiency Challenge Fund. There will be no additional implications for Government expenditure.

State Retirement Pension

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those whose age entitles them to draw the basic state pension (a) claim the full amount, (b) claim part of the amount and (c) claim none of the amount to which someone of their age is entitled; and what the main reasons are for people drawing less than the full amount.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 November 2004
	State pension becomes payable from State Pension age, currently age 60 for women and age 65 from men. Once claimed, the full entitlement is paid.
	People of state pension age have the choice of deferring their state pension and claiming it at a later point to become entitled to a higher amount. It is estimated that around 60,000 people are deferring their state pension at present.
	Notes:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	Source:
	Government Actuary's Department

State Retirement Pension

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) lowest and (b) highest weekly levels paid of the state retirement pension are; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The state pension comprises four components: basic state pension; additional state pension; graduated retirement benefit and non-contributory retirement pension.
	The maximum amount of the basic state pension payable in 200405 where the contribution conditions are fully satisfied is 79.60 per week or 47.65 per week in the case of a married woman whose entitlement is derived from her husband's contribution record. The comparable minimum amounts are 19.90 and 11.91.
	The maximum amount of additional state pension payable in 200405 is 140.44 per week. There is no de-minimis.
	The maximum amount of graduated retirement benefit payable in 200405 is 8.28 per week in the case of a man and 6.93 in the case of a woman. The minimum amount payable is 0.10p per week.
	A non-contributory state pension which is currently 47.65 per week is payable to those who satisfy the entitlement conditions. Any person entitled to a state pension from the age of 80 also receives an age addition of 0.25p per week.

Theft and Fraud

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997.

Chris Pond: The Department estimates that there is some 2 billion of fraud within the social security system across the range of benefits. These estimates are based on a mixture of in-depth rolling programmes that re-perform a large sample of benefit awards each year in certain benefits, and snapshots of customer error and fraudnational benefit reviews and pilot benefit reviewson other benefits, taken at various times back to 199697.
	The highest risk of fraud and error lies within Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance. For these benefits the Department have in place a continuous rolling programme of checking to determine and monitor the extent of fraud and error. The Department has a PSA Target by 2006 to reduce by 50 per cent. the losses from fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance as compared to the 1997 baseline. The Department is making good progress towards achieving this target.
	Details of estimated cost of theft to the Department are presented in Table 1.
	Details of the estimated cost of internal and contractor fraud to the Department are presented in Table 2.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Agency 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus 55,475 447,287 184,131 
			 Child Support Agency 13,037 24,700 18,684 
			 Appeals Service 6,675 6,740 2,100 
			 The Pensions Service  500 18,560 
			 Departmental Headquarters and Shared Directorates 21,420 83,031 80,177 
			 Total 96,607 562,258 303,652 
		
	
	Notes:
	Losses for non departmental public bodies are not recorded or identifiable separately.
	
		Table 2
		
			 Agency 19971998 19981999 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus 918,790 430,780 389,874 44,309 208,823 557,007 71,100 
			 The Pension Service   600 
			 Child Support Agency 57 417 8,950 9,200 4,111  1,812 
			 Appeals Service 203  24 
			 War Pensions Agency   1,500 3,583
			 Employment Service 97,242 54,107 45,624 3,023 1,045,977   
			 Contributions Agency 2,572 1,824  
			 Departmental Headquarters and Shared Directorates14,019 620 8,595  
			 Information Technology Services Agency 20,959 10,942 8,325 
			 Contractors   765,526 
			 Total 1,039,620 498,070 454,273 74,134 1,259,734 565,602 839,062 
		
	
	Notes:
	This information has been compiled from annual returns to HM Treasury detailing fraud losses.
	Jobcentre Plusa new agency created in 2002 merging parts of the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service. Figures up to 20012002 relate to losses within the Benefits Agency.
	Employment Servicefigures to 20012002 include contractor fraud.
	Contributions Agency transferred to Inland Revenue in 1999.
	War Pensions Agency transferred to the Ministry of Defence in 2002
	Information Technology Services Agency ceased to exist in 2001

HEALTH

School Fruit Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of fruit supplied to schools under the National School Fruit Scheme is sourced from (a) suppliers within 25 miles of the school supplied, (b) national suppliers and (c) overseas suppliers;
	(2)  what percentage of fruit supplied to schools under the National School Fruit Scheme is sourced according to seasonal variations in local and national availability.

Melanie Johnson: From the period September 2003 to September 2004, 38 per cent., of the fruit and vegetables supplied under the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme were of United Kingdom origin, with 62 per cent., coming from overseas.
	Source according to produce type for the year September 2003-September 2004
	
		
			  UK origin percentage Non-UK origin percentage 
		
		
			 Apples 47.95 52.05 
			 Pears 10.82 89.18 
			 Soft Citrus  100 
			 Tomatoes 7 93 
			 Strawberries 100  
			 Banana  100 
			 Carrots 100  
		
	
	There are currently 14 School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme suppliers supplying seven different types of fruit and vegetables across the country. All suppliers are UK based.
	We do not hold information centrally about the distance of School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme suppliers in relation to the schools they supply.
	We have designed the school consumption calendar to reflect any seasonality for produce on a national and international level. Listed in the following table are the primary sources of produce for any given period in time.
	
		
			 Fruit Month Country 
		
		
			 Apples September-February UK and Northern Europe 
			  February-July Southern Hemisphere, eg South Africa, New Zealand 
			 Pears September-November UK and Northern Europe 
			 Soft Citrus October-January Spain, Portugal, Morocco 
			  February South Africa, South America 
			 Tomatoes All year UK, Spain 
			 Strawberries July and September UK 
			 Banana All year Caribbean, North Africa 
			 Carrots September-March UK 
		
	
	Although some fruit, such as satsumas and bananas, cannot be grown in the UK and other types of fruit including apples and pears may only be available in certain areas at certain times of the year, we are keen to explore ways of maximising locally grown produce. We believe that children should have access to the same quality and variety of fruit and vegetables wherever they are in the country.
	Wherever possible we encourage local and national UK growers to participate in the scheme.

Antibiotics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms there are in NHS hospitals to (a) oversee and (b) regulate the use of antibiotics in order to limit the development of antimicrobial resistance.

Melanie Johnson: Each national health service trust should already have a nominated lead clinical pharmacist to ensure that appropriate antimicrobial prescribing policies are in place, monitored and updated as appropriate. Prudent prescribing is a key component of Winning Ways Working together to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection in England and multi-disciplinary teams will be addressing this issue locally with the help of additional funding provided by the Department.
	NHS microbiology departments monitor antibiotic resistance patterns in clinical units and the data is used by medical microbiologists to advise on the treatment of individual patients and on the development of local policies for antibiotic use.

Antibiotics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to commission the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to publish guidelines on using antibiotics in such a way as to limit the development of antimicrobial resistance.

Melanie Johnson: As the need for appropriate prescribing is well established we have no plans to commission generic guidance on the use of antibiotics from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). However, NICE guidelines do include antibiotic guidance as part of specific disease management recommendations. Guidance from NICE and other sources will be used with local antibiotic susceptibility data to inform local decisions on antibiotic choice.

Care Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the dental health of residents of care homes for older mentally ill people.

Rosie Winterton: The national service framework for older people, which we published in 2001, identified the challenges to be addressed in helping residents of care homes maintain good oral health. Within this framework, it is for primary care trusts to develop primary care dental services to meet the needs of residents of homes in their areas.

Choose and Book System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the likely take-up of the Choose and Book system by general practitioners.

John Hutton: The Choose and Book service has been developed in consultation with clinical stakeholders and representative groups.
	The decision when to implement the Choose and Book service locally will be based on organisational readiness and system compliance. Returns from the national health service are currently being assessed to determine the state of readiness. However, given the benefits that the Choose and Book service will offer patients and the potential it has to reduce general practitioner and practice staff workload, take-up of the Choose and Book service is expected to be very high.

Cleanyourhands Campaign

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the cleanyourhands campaign has been since June 2003; and what the estimated cost of the campaign is for each of the next two years.

Melanie Johnson: The total cost of the national cleanyourhands campaign, including the development and production of a range of materials for every acute trust in England and Wales is 490,000.
	The campaign is being centrally funded for its first year. Subsequently the costs will be met by commercial companies which supply the national health service contract for hand rubs.
	Costs for the disinfectant hand rubs will be met by trusts.

Cleanyourhands Campaign

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he (a) has commissioned and (b) intends to commission on the cleanyourhands campaign.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has commissioned the National Observational Study of the Effectiveness of the cleanyourhands campaign and cluster randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of feedback in intensive care units and acute general medical wards.

Contaminated Land Development

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the development of contaminated land.

Melanie Johnson: Departmental officials have worked closely with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency (EA) on the production of the series of reports, Contaminants in soil: collation of toxicological data and intake values for humans and Soil Guideline Values and related reports, which are published by DEFRA and EA and are available at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/landquality/113813/672771/?version=1lang=.e#
	The Department was represented on the Cabinet Office soil guideline value task force, the other members of which include DEFRA, EA, the Food Standards Agency and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	On 1 November 2004, these continuing scientific advisory functions were transferred from the Department to the Health Protection Agency.

Data Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  under what circumstances members of the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service will be able to procure patient records from general practitioners without consent;
	(2)  what penalties may be used against general practitioners who refuse to release patient records to members of the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.

John Hutton: The national health service Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) does not have any specific powers to require general practitioners to produce patient records or to impose penalties where records are not produced. The remit of the CFSMS is to bring fraud and corruption in the NHS down to an absolute minimum. Its primary interest is not, therefore, in patient records. On some occasions, however, records may be requested where they are needed for the thorough investigation of allegations of fraud or corruption.
	On 21 October my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord Warner) launched a consultation on proposals to introduce new powers which would allow NHS counter fraud specialists access to relevant documents, records and data where investigations require this. Such access would be strictly controlled and on the occasions where access is needed, we are seeking views on whether such records should be viewed by a clinical specialist who would accompany the NHS counter fraud specialist.
	The consultation on these proposals finishes on 21 January 2005 and we welcome all views on this issue. It is too early to say what shape any future measures may take but they will be informed by the outcome of the consultation exercise.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists have gone private in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each primary care trust in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate their average length of service in the NHS before going private.

Rosie Winterton: The Department only collects information on national health service dentistry. In their report The Private Dentistry Market in the UK published in March 2003, the Office of Fair Trading estimated that, out of a total of some 11,000 dental practices, around 210 were wholly private.

Dentistry

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists' surgeries there are in Leicester South constituency.

Rosie Winterton: The information is shown in the table.
	Number of national health service dental surgery addresses in Eastern Leicester primary care trust and South Leicestershire primary care trust (PCT) areas at 31 August 2004.
	
		
			 Primary care trust Number of surgeries 
		
		
			 Eastern Leicester PCT 41 
			 South Leicestershire PCT 23 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The number of NHS dental surgery addresses in the tale covers the general dental service, personal dental service and the emergency dental service.
	2. A surgery is considered as offering NHS dentistry if it has a dentist with an open contract at 31 August 2004.
	3. Primary care trust areas have been defined using practice postcodes.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Departmental Staff

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the staff of the Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 were people with disabilities.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly), on 9 November, Official Report, column 61920W.

Edward Myers Centre

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to improve funding for the Edward Myers Centre to help drug rehabilitation services in North Staffordshire.

Stephen Ladyman: Nationally, the drug treatment pooled budget totalled 244 million in 200304 and has increased to 260 million in 200405.
	To ensure services have the resources to meet the needs of drug misusers, this year's Spending Review means that all drug action teams will receive a flat rate increase of 55 per cent., in their allocations between 2006 and 2008.
	Funding for specific projects is a matter for local decision.

Energy Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency spent on energy in (a) 200203 and (b) 200304; and what estimate he has made of the likely expenditure in 200405.

John Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agencyexpenditure on energy
		
			  Expenditure () 
			 Year ending Electricity Gas 
		
		
			 31 March 2003 39,033.35 11,177.87 
			 31 March 2004 30,465.90 6,915.80 
			 31 March 2005(68) 50,000 13,500 
		
	
	(68) Budgeted figures: expenditure could be lower depending on the energy prices

Eye Tests/Dental Check-ups

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) men and (b) women are were charged for (i) sight tests and (ii) dental check-ups in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Sight tests under the national health service are free to certain priority groups, including children, people on low incomes, those at particular risk of eye disease and, since April 1999, to all people aged 60 and over. Private sight tests are available for all other adult patients from independent optical practices who will set their own fees.
	In 200304, an estimated 14.8 million sight tests were carried out in England. Of these, 9.8 million were free sight tests under the NHS and approximately 5 million were private sight tests. A breakdown by gender is not available.
	Children, pregnant women and women who have borne a child within the last 12 months before treatment starts are exempt from charges for dental treatment under the NHS. People on low incomes may qualify for exemption or help with charges.
	In 200304, 5.25 million men and 6 million women paid charges for a NHS dental examination in England.

Eye Tests/Dental Check-ups

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior citizens in North Staffordshire have received (a) free eye tests and (b) help towards glasses and contact lenses since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The table shows the number of national health service sight tests for patients aged 60 and over paid for by the former North Staffordshire health authority (HA), for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2003 and for the four primary care trusts (PCTs) covering the old North Staffordshire HA for the year ending 31 March 2004.
	
		General Ophthalmic services: number of sight tests paid for, for patients aged 60 and over for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2004 -- (thousand)
		
			  HA name/PCT name Number of sight tests for aged 60 and over 
		
		
			 19992000 North Staffordshire HA 32.3 
			 200001 North Staffordshire HA 36.4 
			 200102 North Staffordshire HA 42.6 
			 200203 North Staffordshire HA 49.1 
			 200304 Newcastle-under-Lyme PCT 9.8 
			  North Stoke PCT 16.9 
			  South Stoke PCT 10.4 
			  Staffordshire Moorlands PCT 6.9 
			 Total  44.0 
		
	
	Note:
	Eligibility for NHS sight tests was extended to patients aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999. PCTs took over responsibilities from HAs in October 2002.
	Sight tests can not be equated to the numbers of patients. Although most people do not come back for a sight test within the year, some patients suffering from medical conditions are advised to have re-examinations sooner.
	Information on how many senior citizens received help towards glasses and contact lenses is not collected centrally.

Eye Tests/Dental Check-ups

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in the Selby constituency have had free eye tests since they were introduced.

Melanie Johnson: Figures for the number of sight tests by constituency or by pensioners are not collected centrally.
	The following table shows the number of national health service sight tests paid by North Yorkshire health authority (HA) for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2003 and the four primary care trusts (PCTs) covering the old North Yorkshire HA for the year ending 31 March 2004.
	
		General ophthalmic services: number of sight tests paid by North Yorkshire HA for patients aged 60 and over for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2004 -- (thousand)
		
			  HA name/PCT name Number of sight tests for aged 60 and over 
		
		
			 19992000 North Yorkshire HA 52.1 
			 200001 North Yorkshire HA 61.8 
			 200102 North Yorkshire HA 68.9 
			 200203 North Yorkshire HA 70.3 
			 200304 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT21.4 
			  Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 10.2 
			  Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 17.5 
			  Selby And York PCT 26.3 
			 Total North Yorkshire HA 75.4 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Eligibility for NHS sight tests was extended to patients aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999.
	2. PCTs took over responsibilities from HAs in October 2002.
	Sight tests can not be equated to the numbers of patients. Although most people do not come back for a sight test within the year, some patients suffering from medical conditions are advised to have re-examinations sooner. However, some patients aged 60 and over will be eligible for sight tests for other reasons as well, for example, on income grounds. The classification for such patients will depend on the patient and the practitioner.

E111 Forms

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who may travel after 31 December without a valid E111 form; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Experience has shown that only a small number of UK residents travelling to other EEA member states who need treatment do not have valid health entitlement documentation with them. We expect that changes to the E111 arrangements will temporarily increase that number. There is an ongoing publicity campaign to bring these changes to public notice so that problems will be kept to the minimum possible.

Free NHS Care

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been allowed free long-term NHS care in North Staffordshire in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows the number of people receiving continuing national health service healthcare in the four North Staffordshire primary care trusts (PCTs) for 200203 and 200304. This data was not centrally collected before 200203.
	
		
			  200203 200304 
		
		
			 Staffordshire Moorlands PCT 39 32 
			 North Stoke PCT 54 38 
			 South Stoke PCT 53 34 
			 Newcastle-Under-Lyme PCT 37 37 
		
	
	Source:
	Service and Financial Framework, Local Delivery Plan Return

General Practitioner Service

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on maintaining the General Practitioner Service in England in 200304.

John Hutton: The following table shows total general medical services (QMS) and personal medical services (PMS) expenditure for the financial year 200304.
	
		QMS and PMS expenditure: England 200304 -- 000
		
			  Total expenditure 
		
		
			 QMS discretionary 780,829 
			 QMS non discretionary 1,902,895 
			 PMS 1,939,525 
			 Total 4,623,249

Goodmayes Hospital

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the vocational rehabilitation work site and garden site at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford.

Stephen Ladyman: The configuration of local health services including the provision of vocational rehabilitation services is a matter for the local national health service, working in partnership with its stakeholders and the local community. It is for NHS organisations to plan and develop services based on their specific local knowledge and expertise.
	The North East London Mental Health Trust is working with Redbridge primary care trust on a number of initiatives to redesign and modernise the range of vocational rehabilitation services, and a number of options for future management and delivery of the service are under consideration.

General Practitioners

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Department has budgeted for the general practitioners out-of-hours service in England in 200405.

John Hutton: In 200405, the Department is making available to primary care trusts (PCTs) some 316 million for out-of-hours services.
	This comprises a doubled development fund of 92 million, additional support for PCTs of 14 million and capital incentives of 30 million. In addition, where a practice transfers its responsibility for out-of-hours to the PCT, it will surrender six per cent, of its global sum, equivalent to around 6000 per average general practitioner. If every practice in the country opted out, this would amount to some 180 million.
	We have also massively increased PCT allocations and PCTs should be making the most effective use of their unified budgets to establish integrated unscheduled care, which brings together out-of-hours services with emergency care services to meet patient need.

General Practitioners

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision has been made to ensure that there is sufficient funding to cover new out-of-hours doctors' services.

John Hutton: We have greatly increased investment in out-of-hours services in 200405. Some 316 million has been made available to primary care trusts in dedicated funding for out-of-hours, including a doubled development fund of 92 million.

General Practitioners

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidance and (b) funding is available to general practitioner surgeries to make them more accessible to deaf-blind patients.

Melanie Johnson: The Department and the Disability Rights Commission recently issued joint guidance for the primary care sector aimed at raising awareness of the duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and improving disabled people's experience of primary care services. This included a leaflet entitled You Can Make A DifferenceImproving primary care services for disabled people, for front line staff in general practitioner (GPs) surgeries and other primary care settings, which includes a number of practical ideas for improving services for people with sensory impairment. Furthermore, a wide range of information and guidance on disability access is available to GPs, both on the Department and NHS Estates websites and from external sources such as the Disability Rights Commission.
	The Department recently announced an additional 108 million over two years for improving GP premises. The use of this money will be subject to local decision-making and prioritisation, which may include improving disability access.

General Practitioners

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been invested in improving general practitioners' surgeries in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not held centrally.

Health Provision (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the number of (a) general practitioners and (b) dentists in Newcastle-under-Lyme has changed since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: In 1997, the number of general practitioners in England was 28,046. There were 31,215 in June 2004. This is an increase of 3,169 or 11.3 per cent.
	In 1997, the number of GPs in North Staffordshire health authority (HA) was 236. In June 2004, there was a total of 253 GPs in the four primary care trusts (PCTs) corresponding to the former North Staffordshire HA. This is an increase of 17, or 7.2 per cent. The numbers at June 2004 in the four PCTs are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 PCT Number 
		
		
			 North Stoke PCT 69 
			 South Stoke PCT 72 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme PCT 55 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands PCT 57 
			 Total 253 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health general and personal medical services statistics.
	In June 1997, the number of individual general dental service dentists in England was 16,303. There were 19,339 in June 2004, including dentists in the personal dental service. This is an increase of 3,036, 18.6 per cent.
	In June 1997, the number of dentists 1 in North Staffordshire HA was 118 2 . In June 2004, there was a total of 158 2 dentists in the four PCTs corresponding to the former North Staffordshire HA. This is an increase of 40, or 33.9 per cent. The numbers at June 2004 in the four PCTs are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 PCT Number 
		
		
			 North Stoke PCT 55 
			 South Stoke PCT 37 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme PCT 30 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands PCT 36 
			 Total 158 
		
	
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.
	1 The figures include general dental service dentists and personal dental service dentists, and includes principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners.
	2 Some of the dentists may practise in more than one PCT/HA, so there may be some double counting.

Health Spending (South Midlands)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for health spending of the Government's proposals for housing growth in the South Midlands and Milton Keynes area.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with the Department of Health to ensure that health funding allocation responds effectively to growth. In March 2004, the Department of Health announced additional revenue funding of 20 million for 200405 and 200506 for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the growth areas. 5.611 million of this is for PCTs in the MKSM area, with 2.460 million specifically for the Northamptonshire PCTs. The Department of Health also announced an additional 20 million of capital funding for the NHS in the Growth Areas for 200506, decision on the allocation of which will be taken later this year. From 200607 onwards, the Department of Health has agreed to include a growth area revenue adjustment in their future allocations.
	The impact of the growth areas on Health and Social care in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth area is being looked at in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funded Planning for future of health and social care needs in the MKSM sub region study. This study is due to report in summer 2005.

Hepatitis C

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the number of people in the UK infected with hepatitis C; what assessment he has made of the origin of infection for most hepatitis C sufferers; and how many people are receiving treatment for hepatitis C.

Melanie Johnson: Information about the estimated prevalence of hepatitis C infection in England and likely routes of transmission is contained in the Hepatitis C Action Plan for England, a copy of which is available in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/47/13/04084713.pdf.
	On the issue of hepatitis C treatment, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 October 2004, Official Report, column 1196W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff).
	Information about hepatitis C in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the respective devolved administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility for hepatitis C rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) procedures and (b) products that claim effectiveness in their ability to prevent or control methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus have been introduced by the NHS as a result of the Department of Health's rapid review processes.

Melanie Johnson: The rapid review panel has reviewed seven products and findings on each of these products will be available shortly for people to take decision locally on their use.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list the research projects he (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission on reducing hospital acquired infections which will be funded from the Winning Ways programme; how much funding will be allocated to each project; what completion date he will set for each project; and what projects have been commissioned with funding from other sources;
	(2)  if he will list (a) the research initiatives he has commissioned into hospital acquired infections in the last year and (b) the funding source for each initiative.

Melanie Johnson: The Department last year commissioned a 2.5 million strategic programme of research aimed at improving scientific understanding of antimicrobial resistance from the Department's policy research programme budget. 590,000 of that total sum will be spent on projects that will provide useful information relating to best practice in preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
	Funding for research associated with Winning Ways will be drawn from the same source. The one Winning Ways project commissioned to date is the National observational study of the effectiveness of the Clean Your Hands campaign and a cluster randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of feedback in intensive care units and acute general medical wards. A call for proposals for research into the cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at controlling the spread of infection will be published early next year.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sources of funding are available for research into hospital acquired infections.

Melanie Johnson: The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
	The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.
	The Department allocates funds to National Health Service organisations to meet the NHS support costs associated with clinical research undertaken in the NHS by the MRC and other research bodies, and for investment in local research and development priorities and needs. The Department also directly funds a research programme that provides a knowledge base for health and social care policy including policy on hospital acquired infections.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he used as the basis for introducing the Cleanyourhands campaign.

Melanie Johnson: Development of the campaign was informed by a number of academic papers. One key study 1 in Geneva, Switzerland found that the introduction of alcohol hand rub and an accompanying promotional campaign increased hand hygiene compliance and led to a decreasing infection rate. The pilot study of the Cleanyourhands campaign revealed a significant increase in staff cleaning of hands between each patient contact.
	Source:
	1 The Lancet, Vol 356, Oct 14, 2000. Pittet et al

Hospital-acquired Infections

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued on improving patient care through reducing hospital-acquired infections.

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance the Department has issued to the NHS concerning the (a) content and (b) availability of information to patients on the risks of hospital-acquired infections;
	(2)  what information NHS hospitals make available to patients prior to hospital admission on protecting against the risk of (a) hospital-acquired infections and (b) MRSA;
	(3)  what information is provided by his Department to (a) primary care trusts, (b) general practitioners and (c) hospital staff to inform patients about the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

Melanie Johnson: Guidance on advising patients is given in, Prevention of healthcare associated infection in primary and community careUnderstanding NICE guidanceinformation for patients, their carers and the public.
	As patients with MRSA and other conditions may need locally produced supporting information, the Department has produced a generic toolkit for creating patient information. This has been placed in the Library and is also available on the internet at http://www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk/patientinformationtoolkit/.
	Information on materials provided locally by hospitals is not collected centrally.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of methicillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus have been reported by each hospital trust since 2001.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 November 2004
	Data for methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bloodstream infections analysed by individual acute national health service are not readily available.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals screen patients for (a) MRSA and (b) MSSA on admission to (i) orthopaedic wards, (ii) critical care units and (iii) children's wards.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 November 2004
	Information on screening is not collected centrally.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what drugs are approved for use against methicillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on their effectiveness.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 November 2004
	The prescribing information, which is laid out in the summary of product characteristics, for 150 licensed medicinal products states among the indications that the drug might be used to treat infections due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). These licensed medicinal products concern 21 different antibacterial agents.
	However, because the prescribing information for more recently approved antibacterial agents lists only clinical infection types as indications, for example, skin and soft tissue infections, there are in fact many others that are active against MSSA and which have been shown in clinical trials or can be predicted from in-vitro studies to be suitable for treatment. The choice of agent from among all the possible drugs depends on factors such as the patient, the infection, the hospital formulary, professional guidance documents, physician experience and, when available, the results of microbiological laboratory test results.
	The drug that is most commonly recommended, as in the British National Formulary, for treating methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus is flucloxacillin, which is a type of penicillin. Patients who cannot be given flucloxacillin for any reason are most usually treated with a macrolide, such as erythromycin. Information on the effectiveness of these drugs comes from clinical trials and mainly from long years of experience with their use.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what different monitoring systems are used by hospitals to ensure sterilisation of beds between patients.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 November 2004
	The use of monitoring systems to ensure decontamination of mattresses between patients is for local determination and no information is held centrally.
	Every national health service trust has been required to appoint a director of infection prevention and control and we would expect that person to ensure that there are satisfactory arrangements in place.
	In addition, specific advice and guidance on the cleaning/disinfection of mattresses was included in the NHS Healthcare Cleaning Manual, which was issued in April 2004.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what central guidance is used by hospitals for reporting hospital-acquired infections which manifest themselves after patients have left hospital.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 November 2004
	There is no central guidance on the reporting of hospital-acquired infection which occurs after discharge.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nosocomial cases of small round-structured viruses there were in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each month in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004 to date.

Melanie Johnson: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has a voluntary reporting system for outbreaks of gastroenteritis, including those caused by norovirus, formerly known as small round structured virus, norwalk or norwalk-like virus.
	The HPA received reports of 89 outbreaks of norovirus affecting 2,384 people (patients and staff) in hospitals in England from 1 January 2003 to 2 November 2004. Data is not available broken down by month.
	The table shows data on cases by region. Data at strategic health authority level are not available.
	
		General outbreaks of norovirus infection in hospitals by regionEngland and Wales, 200304 1
		
			  2003 2004 (to date) 
			 Region Number of outbreaks Number affected Number of outbreaks Number affected 
		
		
			 East Midlands 2 21 2 15 
			 East of England 12 184 5 103 
			 London 4 276 2 108 
			 North East 3 61 9 216 
			 North West 25 236 15 319 
			 South East 2 44 4 143 
			 South West 1 126 1 404 
			 West Midlands 1 18 0  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1 41 0  
			 Total 51 1,076 38 1,308 
		
	
	(69) Data for 2004 is provisional.
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency

Hospital Stays

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tracking of hospital bed use is conducted by the Department to monitor appropriate use according to criteria on whether a hospital stay is required.

John Hutton: The Department does not centrally collect information on the appropriate use of hospital beds. It does, however collect data on the number of delayed discharges from national health service acute care.
	Significant progress has been made in this respect. Between September 2001 and June 2004 the number of people delayed in hospital reduced from 7,065 to 2,742.

Influenza Vaccination

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure continuity of supply of influenza vaccine.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has contacted all suppliers of influenza vaccine to ensure that there are adequate stocks available this winter. There are currently over 500,000 doses of vaccine still available to order.

Influenza Vaccination

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms his Department uses to ensure that there are enough influenza vaccines available each winter before the influenza vaccination campaign begins.

Melanie Johnson: Officials at the Department meet with influenza vaccine suppliers to discuss vaccine requirements each winter based on current policy.

Influenza Vaccination

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability to practice nurses of influenza vaccines in time for the winter influenza vaccination campaign; and what plans his Department has to improve that availability.

Melanie Johnson: General practitioners order influenza vaccine direct from the supplier of their choice. The Department has contacted all suppliers of influenza vaccine to ensure that there are adequate stocks available this winter. We have issued advice and details to the profession, via influenza immunisation coordinators, of where supplies of influenza vaccine can be obtained as well as making our contingency stock available to those practices affected by any delays.

Influenza Vaccination

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to ensure that the elderly, the young and the ill are given priority in receiving the influenza vacination.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has contacted all suppliers of influenza vaccine to ensure that there are adequate stocks available this winter. Those recommended to receive influenza vaccination will still get protected within the recommended timescale.

Influenza Vaccination

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage people over the age of 65 years to take up the influenza vaccination.

Melanie Johnson: We launched a campaign on 4 October incorporating a number of strategies aimed at encouraging people over the age of 65 to receive their influenza immunisation. The campaign incorporated:
	National Television advertising
	Advertising in national and regional and regional newspapers and magazines, including ethnic media
	Advertising in buses and on pharmacy bags
	Work with commercial partners such as gala bingo and voluntary organisations such as Heart UK and the National Asthma Campaign.
	The Chief Medical Officer wrote to all general practitioners with details of this year's influenza programme in his letter of 9 August 2004.

Influenza Vaccination

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he estimates all general practitioners and health centres in the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust will have sufficient supplies of influenza vaccine to meet demand; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: None of the surgeries or health centres in Castle Point or Rochford is without influenza vaccine.

Influenza Vaccination

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been carried out by his Department into the risks of additional (a) cases and (b) deaths from influenza because of delays in the influenza vaccination programme due to the problems with the safety of the Chiron vaccines.

Melanie Johnson: Influenza vaccinations are carried out by general practitioners in October and November before flu usually starts to circulate. Those recommended to receive influenza vaccination will still get protected within the recommended timescale.

Influenza Vaccination

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that sufficient supplies of vaccine are available for the different types of influenza that may reach the British Isles in the coming winter; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: We contacted all suppliers of influenza vaccine to ensure that adequate stocks of vaccine would be available this winter as well as making the Department's contingency stock available to those surgeries who needed it. The vaccine available meets the strain of flu virus recommended by the World Health Organisation.
	Vaccine is still available from the Department's contingency stock and suppliers.

Passive Smoking

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many people diagnosed with lung cancer in each of the last three years secondary smoke was found to be a contributory factor.

Melanie Johnson: Data on the diagnosis of lung cancer is not collected in the form requested.
	The 1998 report of the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) concludes that there is a 24 per cent. increased risk to non-smokers of lung cancer from secondhand smoke.
	In 2002, an almost identical increased risk was identified by the International Agency on Research into Cancer (IARC). The latest report by SCOTH, which is a review of studies since 1998, has been published with the White Paper on public health.

Passive Smoking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of workers who die each year as a result of second-hand smoke in the workplace;
	(2)  if he will estimate the number of people who die each year as a result of second-hand smoke.

Melanie Johnson: The 1998 report from the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) estimated that there are several hundred deaths a year due to lung cancer caused by second-hand smoke. The Committee did not estimate the number of deaths due to other causes linked to second-hand smoke, such as heart disease or sudden infant death syndrome, or the number of deaths in the workplace. An updated SCOTH report on second-hand smoke has been published with the White Paper on public health. Copies are available in the Library.

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the independence of the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Rosie Winterton: The full range of operations of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have been reviewed regularly, including an assessment of its independence. For example, a value-for-money audit was conducted by the National Audit Office (NAO). Its findings were presented in January 2003. Among other things, the NAO examined the measures in place to manage potential conflicts of members of the advisory committees.
	The Government have been considering how to increase transparency in their approach to handling interests of experts who sit on the MHRA's advisory bodies and increase the involvement of patients and the public in their work. On 11 November, the Government announced a new structure for the advisory bodies that advise Ministers on matters relating to the Medicines Act 1968, the exercise of powers under the Act or otherwise relating to human and veterinary medicines. In the future, each advisory body will include two patient or lay representatives on each committee.
	The Government also announced a public consultation on proposals to tighten the approach to interests that will apply to the chairs and members of the new committees.
	The consultation document, issued by the MHRA, is available on its website and has been placed in the Library.
	The new structure requires changes to the Medicines Act 1968 and the Government aim to introduce the legislature changes early in 2005.

Mental Health Bill

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will appoint the new advocates proposed in the draft Mental Health Bill; and what the relationship will be between the advocates and the legal representatives envisaged in the draft Bill.

Rosie Winterton: Decisions about who will appoint the independent Mental Health Act advocates proposed in the draft Bill will be made as part of the preparation for the implementation of the Bill.
	The duties of independent Mental Health Act advocates are set out in clause 247 of the draft Bill, which provides that help from advocates must include:
	(a) help in obtaining information about and understanding
	(i) what medical treatment is being provided to the patient,
	(ii) why it is being provided,
	(iii) under what authority it is being provided,
	(iv) the requirements of this Act that apply in connection with the patient'streatmentt, and
	(v) the rights which can be exercised by or in respect of him under this Act,
	and
	(b) help (by way of representation or otherwise) in exercising those rights
	In addition, as under the Mental Health Act 1983, all patients who have a Mental Health Tribunal hearing under the Bill will be entitled to public funding of legal services (legal aid) and will therefore be entitled to a legal representative at the Tribunal.

Mental Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been provided in (a) Chorley, (b) the North West and (c) England for mental health services in financial year 200405.

Melanie Johnson: It is not possible to disaggregate funding for mental health services from the total national health service expenditure. Following the Department's Shifting the balance of power initiative, funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for health.

Mental Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffering from psychiatric illness are employed in the NHS.

John Hutton: The requested information is not collected by the Department.

Mobile Phone Masts

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has been issued on possible effects of Tetra mast signals on the operation of pacemakers.

Melanie Johnson: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not issued guidance about possible effects of Tetra mast signals on the operation of pacemakers.

Netcare

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many operations (a) have been carried out and (b) have been contracted to be carried out by Netcare on the NHS;
	(2)  which primary care trust areas have commissioned operations from Netcare.

John Hutton: As part of the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme, Netcare are the provider of two mobile cataract theatres. Within this programme, Netcare have carried out 9,000 cataract operations and are contracted to carry out over 44,000 over the term of the contract.
	Information on individual contracts between Netcare and primary care trusts and acute trusts for the provision of overseas treatment teams are not collected centrally.
	The following list details of primary care trusts that have commissioned operations from Netcare as part of the ISTC programme:
	Adur, Arun and Worthing primary care trust (Lead PCI acting on behalf of other PCTs in the Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority)
	Bebington and West Wirral primary care trust
	Birkenhead and Wallasey primary care trust
	Blackburn with Darwen primary care trust
	Blackpool primary care trust
	Blackwater Valley Hart primary care trust (Lead PCT acting on behalf of other PCTs in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic health authority)
	Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale primary care trust
	Carlisle primary care trust
	Central Cheshire primary care trust
	Central Liverpool primary care trust
	Cherwell Vale primary care trust
	Cheshire West primary care trust
	Chiltern and South Bucks primary care trust
	Chorley and South Ribble primary care trust
	Eastern Cheshire primary care trust
	Eden primary care trust
	Ellesmere Port and Neston primary care trust
	Fylde primary care trust
	Gateshead primary care trust
	Halton primary care trust
	Hyndburn primary care trust
	Knowsley primary care trust
	Morecambe primary care trust
	Newcastle primary care trust
	North Liverpool primary care trust
	North Tyneside primary care trust
	Northumberland Tyne and Wear primary care trust
	Preston primary care trust
	Reading primary care trust
	South East Oxon primary care trust
	South Liverpool primary care trust
	South Sefton primary care trust
	South Tyneside primary care trust
	South West Kent primary care trust (Lead PCT acting on behalf of other PCTs in the Kent and Medway strategic health authority)
	South West Oxon primary care trust
	South West Peninsula strategic health authority)
	Southport and Formby primary care trust
	Sunderland primary care trust
	Taunton Deane PCT primary care trust (Lead PCT acting on behalf of other PCTs in the Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority)
	Teignbridge primary care trust (Lead PCT acting on behalf of other PCTs in the South West Peninsula Strategic health authority)
	Vale of Aylesbury primary care trust
	Warrington primary care trust
	West Cumbria primary care trust
	Wycombe primary care trust
	Wyre primary care trust

New Hospitals (Staffordshire)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the total cost of the planned (a) local hospital in Stoke North and (b) single site hospital in North Staffordshire.

Stephen Ladyman: Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority reports that the capital cost of new Private Finance Initiative hospital in North Stoke is estimated to be 381 million.
	That comprises:
	(a) 26 million for North Stoke Primary Care Trust Community hospital; and
	(b) 355 million for the University hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust's Fit for the Future Project.

NHS Audit

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list Public Interest reports issued by NHS trust auditors under the provisions of section (a) 8 and (b) 19 of the Audit Commission Act 1998, broken down by (i) trust, (ii) the date of report and (iii) the issue giving rise to the report; and what the name of the auditors was in each case.

John Hutton: holding answer 16 November 2004
	Section 8 and Section 19 reports are shown in the following tables.
	
		Section 8 reports
		
			 Audit Date Issue Auditor 
		
		
			 Leeds Health Authority/Leeds Community National Health Service Trust September 1999 Concern over payments made to a consultancy firm over a six year period District audit 
			 Bedfordshire Shared Services, including one NHS trust, one health authority and three primary care trusts. May 2002 Deficiencies in the arrangements to maintain adequate systems of financial control and to keep proper accounting records District audit 
			 West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust March 2003 Deficiencies in arrangements to adequately project manage the roll out of a major departmental initiative, NHS Professionals, and the financial difficulties which arose as a consequence Audit Commission operations directorate 
			 Avon, Gloucester and Wiltshire strategic health authority (SHA), including NHS trusts in its area. March 2003 Financial standing of the NHS organisation s within the SHA area. Audit Commission operations directorate 
			 The Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS Trust (this report also constitutes a referral under Section 19 because of the potential breach of the trust's break even duty). September 2004 Financial standing. RSM Robson Rhodes 
		
	
	
		Section 19 reports
		
			 Audit Date Subject Audit supplier 
		
		
			 Northallerton NHS Trust May 1999 Severance agreement and house purchase made to an employee by the NHS trust. Deloitte and Touche 
			 
			 Cornwall Healthcare NHS Trust December 1999 Early retirement arrangements for the chief executive of the NHS trust. District audit 
			 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust January 2004 Increase in the chief executive's pay prior to retirement. Audit Commission operations directorate

NHS Professionals

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to date of running NHS Professionals has been;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of (a) the cost to date of recruiting through NHS Professionals and (b) what the cost would have been of recruiting over the same period using outside agencies.

John Hutton: NHS Professionals was initially allocated 7 million to support the start up of pilot sites. A further 24 million was invested in 200203 to support roll out. The Department allocated 26.6 million to the new NHS Professionals special health authority for 200405. This, taking into account monies from the previous year, brings the total investment to 32.6 million for 200405. It is anticipated that NHS Professionals will be self-financing by 200708.
	Estimates of the cost to date of recruiting through NHS Professionals and how this would compare with outside agencies are not available centrally, but provisional figures for spending on temporary staffing shows a reduction of 65 million for 200304.

NHS Staff

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how average pay for (a) nurses and (b) ancillary hospital workers has changed in North Staffordshire since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is available to nurses before qualifying as nurse prescribers.

Rosie Winterton: Higher education institutions provide training courses for nurses to qualify as nurse prescribers. The Nursing and Midwifery Council has an agreed set of standards for the training and preparation of nurse, midwife and health visitor prescribers and is responsible for quality assuring training programmes.

NHS Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse prescribers have been designated.

Rosie Winterton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hold details of the numbers of nurse prescribers qualified and registered with it. The NMC's contact details can be found on its website at www.nmc-uk.org.

Official Discussions

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his officials have had with representatives of (a) the food and drink industry and (b) the advertising industry since January.

Melanie Johnson: Officials at various levels working in the health improvement and prevention division of the Department meet regularly with representatives from a wide range of the food and drink industry and Advertising Association.
	Since January 2004, over fifty meetings have been held with representatives from the food and drink industry and less than five meetings have been held with the Advertising Association.

Over-30 Month Scheme

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the Food Standards Agency's recommendation of 10 July 2003 that it would be acceptable on public health grounds to replace in two stages the over-30 month scheme with BSE testing of cattle older than 30 months; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Government is considering the Food Standards Agency's advice on the over-30-months rule and an announcement will be made in due course.

Pain Relief

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are registered with the Easington primary care trust to attend (a) pain clinics and (b) appointments with consultants for pain relief on a regular basis.

Melanie Johnson: This information is not held centrally.

Palliative Care

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his response to the Report of the Health Select Committee on Palliative Care, if he will implement a strategy to test the cost-benefits arising from a shift towards more patients dying in their homes as recommended by the Committee.

Melanie Johnson: This particular recommendation from the Health Select Committee followed on from an economic analysis conducted by Marie Curie Cancer Care. In its response to the Committee, the Government agreed with the analysis that the research evidence on costs of care is weak and the data complex. We also agreed in principle with the suggestion that overall savings will only be realised if there is a switch of funding from secondary to primary care and shared the acknowledgment that realistically this may be difficult to achieve.
	The national partnership group for palliative care is undertaking work with regard to palliative care costs; these will inform the wider work being undertaken by the Department on healthcare resource groups. The potential cost benefits of a shift of end of life care from inpatient care to the community are for individual primary care trusts to consider. However, the Government wishes to support strategies that enable more patients to exercise choice in where they are cared for and die and is funding specific initiatives in this area. These include a 12 million investment over three years in the end of life care programme and a 6 million investment in integrated cancer care pilots.

Private Finance Initiative

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Private Finance Initiative contracts have been concluded in respect of NHS projects in each of the last six years; and what the total value of those contracts has been in each of those years.

John Hutton: The number of private finance initiative (PFI) hospital schemes with a capital value of 10 million and over, together with their total approximate capital values, which have reached financial close in each of the last six years is shown in the table.
	
		 million
		
			  Number of Schemes Total Capital Value 
		
		
			 2004 12 1003 
			 2003 7 683 
			 2002 11 598 
			 2001 6 300 
			 2000 11 615 
			 1999 10 618

Optometrists

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the 2003 review by the General Optical Council of its regulations for professional accreditation of new optometrists, with particular reference to the effectiveness of the PQE1 examination procedure.

John Hutton: None. The General Optical Council is a statutory regulatory body independent of the Department.

Prescriptions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the eligibility criteria are for obtaining a pre-payment certificate for prescription charges.

Rosie Winterton: Anyone who has to pay prescription charges can purchase prescription charge pre-payment certificates.

Pylons

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with National Grid Transco on the health effects of electricity pylons;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the health effects of overhead electricity lines and pylons, with particular reference to children's health.

Melanie Johnson: Recent advice on high voltage power lines and children's health comes from the National Radiological Protection Board's publication, Review of the Scientific Evidence for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields, produced in support of its advice issued in March 2004 (Documents of the NRPB Vol. 15 No. 2 2004). In addition to recommending the adoption of harmonised international guidelines, the advice noted that, at levels below the guidelines:
	association between prolonged exposure to intense power frequency magnetic fields and a small raised risk of childhood leukaemia has, however, been found, the scientific reasons for which are presently uncertain. In the light of these findings and the requirement for additional research, the need for precautionary measures should be considered by government.
	The Department and National Grid Transco have instigated a programme of stakeholder discussions in order to develop appropriate practical policies.
	The possible application of precautionary measures are currently being considered by departmental officials in association with a large number of stakeholders, including other Government Departments, the devolved Administrations, the electricity supply industry, the electricity supply regulators and a number of non-governmental organisations and public concern groups.

School Nurses

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses are employed in the Easington primary care trust; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The latest work force census, at 30 September 2003, indicates that Easington primary care trust has no school nurses.
	It should be noted that the occupation code for school nurses was introduced for the 2003 non-medical work force census. However, the time scale in which this new code was introduced meant that organisations were not obliged to complete information for school nurses for the 2003 census.
	Source: Department of Health non-medical work force census.

Select Committees

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recommendations by parliamentary select committees have been adopted by his Department since June 2001.

Rosie Winterton: Select committee reports are given very careful consideration by the Department's Ministers. Since June 2001, several Committees of both Houses have made a range of recommendations on matters for which the Department is responsible. Select Committee reports and the Department's responses are a matter of public record.

Sexual Health

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each primary care trust in Greater London spent on promoting sexual health in (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Sexual Health

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in the Greater London area.

Melanie Johnson: The Government's National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV(2001) recognises geographical variations in the distribution of poor sexual health and data shows that London is one of the areas disproportionately affected by rising levels of sexually transmitted infections.
	It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to identify local sexual health needs and provide services accordingly. The Department is supporting them, through the strategy, by allocating targeted investment to PCTs most in need, to improve local sexual health services and undertake sexual health promotion.
	A strategic framework for sexual health has been agreed by the chief executives of the five strategic health authorities in London, and PCTs are producing sexual health action plans.

Sexual Mutilation

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions with which (a) organisations and (b) individuals his Department has held discussions on the practice of sexual mutilation of young women.

Melanie Johnson: No discussions with organisations and individuals have taken place recently. However, departmental officials do work with the Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD) in an effort to tackle the problem of female genital mutilation in this country. The Department's support of FORWARD includes financial support through the section S64 general scheme of grants.
	The Female Genital Mutilation Act, which came into force in March 2004, amends and strengthens the 1985 legislation. The Act provides an impetus and a focus to raise awareness among communities and among those professionals who are likely to encounter the consequences of female genital mutilation.

Signers

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of sign language interpreters for profoundly deaf people attending for NHS treatment.

Stephen Ladyman: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to the way they deliver their services so that disabled people can1 use them. In 1999, the Department issued guidance to chief executives of national health service trusts on providing good quality services meeting the needs of disabled people. This guidance contains a section explaining the needs of people who are deaf or who have a hearing impairment setting out a range of ways in which better communication can be supported. For example, the guidance recommends that interpreters used for medical consultations should be appropriately qualified and that hospitals and health centres should maintain an up to date list of accredited sign language interpreters. The Department, in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission, has this year issued good practice guidance to NHS organisations suggesting practical ways to improve services for disabled people.

Skipton Fund

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library correspondence with the Scottish Executive pertaining to (a) the establishment of the Skipton Fund and (b) the directors of it; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Skipton Fund is a United Kingdom-wide scheme and work in establishing the fund was undertaken by officials at all four health administrations. Officials therefore consulted with their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in all aspects of setting up the scheme. We cannot make available correspondence which contains advice, consultation and recommendations. Exemption 2 (internal discussion and advice) of the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information applies.

Transport (Rural Areas)

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department gives to primary care trusts on the commissioning of transport to healthcare for patients who live in rural areas;
	(2)  what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the transport needs of NHS patients living in rural areas and ways of meeting those needs;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the cost savings to the NHS of different arrangements for transport to healthcare in rural areas.

Melanie Johnson: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for providing or securing the provision of ambulance services, which could include patient transport services, to such extent as they consider necessary to meet all reasonable requirements. It is, therefore, for the local national health service to decide who provides patient transport services for patients in their area, including rural areas.
	The Department has not made an assessment of the cost savings to the NHS of arrangements for transport to healthcare specifically in rural areas. Through the Modernisation Agency, we have issued good practice guidelines for PCTs on commissioning arrangements for emergency ambulance services and non-emergency patient transport services. Copies of this report are available in the Library.
	The Department has not commissioned research into the transport needs of NHS patients living in rural areas.

Ward Housekeepers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ward housekeepers are in post, broken down by strategic health authority.

John Hutton: The information requested is set out in the table.
	Data submitted by national health service trusts showed that at 31 March 2004 there were 6,887 ward housekeepers in post.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority Number of housekeepers 
		
		
			 Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 101 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 71 
			 Birmingham and Black Country 375 
			 Central London 111 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 355 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 68 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 139 
			 Dorset and Somerset 36 
			 Essex 134 
			 Greater Manchester 132 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 245 
			 Kent and Medway 201 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 204 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge 56 
			 North and East Yorks and North Lincs 148 
			 North East London 21 
			 North West London 32 
			 Northumberland Tyne and Wear 259 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 110 
			 South East London 93 
			 South West London 87 
			 South West Peninsula 519 
			 South Yorks 428 
			 Surrey and Sussex 205 
			 Thames Valley 148 
			 Trent 913 
			 West Midlands South 229 
			 West Yorks 1,467